Posted on 01/20/2005 9:06:44 AM PST by kattracks
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi found herself on the defensive Thursday morning over the decision by Senate Democrats to put former Ku Klux Klansman, Sen. Robert Byrd, in charge of efforts to derail the confirmation of Secretary of State-nominee Condoleezza Rice.
"I don't think that whatever Sen. Byrd is doing has anything to do with his sad past," Pelosi told WWRL radio hosts Steve Malzberg and Karen Hunter. Instead, said the San Francisco Democrat, the one-time Grand Kleagel was acting out of concern that the advise and consent role of the Senate in presidential appointments was being overlooked.
In a move that was seen by many as an insult to the first black woman ever appointed Secretary of State, Sen. Byrd announced his decision to hold up her confirmation late Wednesday, saying it needed more debate before the full Senate.
Rep. Pelosi insisted that Byrd's extraordinary move had nothing to do with his long history of public racism, but was instead a reflection of his opposition to the Iraq war.
"They're confirming a Secretary of State in a time of war. [Byrd's] views on the war and his opposition to it are well known," she said.
Still, Byrd's "sad history," as Pelosi described it, makes him a particularly bad choice to lead the assault on Rice.
As recently as 2001, the West Virginia Democrat was forced to apologize after blurting out during a nationally televised interview, "There are white n****rs, I've seen a lot of white n****rs in my time. I'm going to use that word."
In 1972, Byrd pushed to have the Senate's main office building named after Dixiecrat Sen. Richard Russell - a leading opponent of anti-lynching legislation who Byrd called "my mentor."
Byrd filibustered the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act for 14 straight hours.
Three years after he said he'd left his white-sheeted brethren behind, he wrote to Georgia's Grand Imperial Wizard urging: "The Klan is needed today as never before."
Sen. Byrd was also a fierce opponent of desegregating the military, complaining in one letter ."I should rather die a thousand times and see old glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again than see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen of the wilds."
The racists in the media and the Democratic party get away with this BS right under the nose of blacks. Will they ever wake up?
Strange bed-fellows indeed. The KKK is anti-Catholic and Pelosi "claims" to be a Catholic. Sheeeesh!
"Next on ABC, Auschwitz, the fault of Bush."
If they could get away with it, CBS would say "Next on CBS, The Battle of Waterloo: The Fault of Bush in Napoleon's devistating loss"
I wish I knew who is writing the script for these idiots. Must be a genius, and an evil one at that. Here's hoping they keep this stuff up.
This is only but one reason why Sen. Byrd is a great American. Why he stays in the Democrat Party is beyond me.
If Byrd had to die those thousand deaths the way his kkk brothers inflicted it, he would change his willingness. Talk is cheap. His character is valueless. His dangerousness speaks for itself.
I don't think Senator Russell supported then Governor Thurmond for President in 1948. I could be wrong, but I think Russell was an HST-Barkley man. Russell went all the way with LBJ in 1964: he was more of a party loyalist than a Dixiecrat. The Johnson girls called the lifelong bachelor Russell "Uncle Dick."
But the people of WV decide, and they have decided for Robert C. Byrd for senator in 1958, 1964, 1970, 1976, 1982, 1988, 1994, 2000, and presumably 2006???? People there believe in RCB.
You know, that is what astonishes me, since W. Virginia seceded from Virginia over the issue of slavery. Obviously people and regional tastes change, but when something that cataclysmic forms a people into a union and blasts them away from their roots, one might think their descendants would have some attachment to the rights of black people.
What kind of "welfare" permits able-bodied white males to remain home and out of the workforce? I thought "welfare" is only for women and dependent children.
WV "seceded" from VA. I am not sure if slavery was really the main factor, but Charleston, WV, did not like the dictation from Richmond, VA.
Thee is an interesting story about Sen. Richard B. Russell. LBJ "ordered" him to serve on the Warren Commission, but Russell "hated" Earl Warren and would not serve. After enduring the "Johnson treatment" Russell of course did finally serve. LBJ told Russell that it was his patriotic duty to serve and the simply would not take "No" for an answer. The popular Arlen Specter was a Democrat staffer on the commission, I believe.
...Oh, and I think it was actually more like *EIGHT* times, before Judge Estrada finally had had enough...
PORK!!!!!!
Senator Byrd, is the undisputed, king, and lord of Pork.
There has never, ever, been a bigger pork barrel politician under the dome.
With the exception of Stevens, there are no 2 senators combined who can match this, unholy god of swine.
Byrd calls himself a "multibillion dollar industry". You get Byrd out of office, and you would be stunned at the drop, plus after effect drop, in porking.
He is, enemy #1 of tax payers, and up until 2001, had become a laughing stock in his own party.
This is a guy who infuriated Kerry by fighting to have coal listed as a "clean fuel". Senator Tom Coburn has made it clear, he's gunning for Byrd.
Byrd, is (no exagerration) considered one of the biggest indsutries and source of money, in his state.
The Democratic Party---the party of:
Thomas Jefferson (a slaveholder who impregnated his slaves)
Andrew Jackson (A bigamist and a murderer)
the trail of tears (racism towards Indians)
the Confederacy and war between the states
the Klu Klux Klan (KKK)and "Dixiecrats"
the income tax & Federal Reserve System (Jekyl Island)
WWI, WWII, Korean and Vietnam wars
the "war on poverty' that has wasted trillions of dollars, so far...and I could go on for days....
This of course, eliminates the Demrat Party. The truth is; they have not relied or called on 'decency' for all their years. Nor have they needed to. . .
The kind pushed by someone who wants to control the masses.
We are racist; but we depend on not appearing racist; since this attack on Condi IS really, a racist 'call'. . .let's just give it to Byrd. . .because he is old. . .and he really IS a racist; and he makes a great scapegoat for the rest of us!
Turn up the heat/does not matter. . only Byrd, roasted on the platter. . .
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.