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."
Has anyone seen statistics on the percent of registered Republicans in WV who vote for Robert C. Byrd on a regular basis? I suspect that it would be over 20 percent.
democrat uber pukes:
pelosi
byrd
boxer
clintons
kennedy
have they no shame?
That was not Robert Byrd's speech to a reporter. It was Fritz Hollings!
Lol! You owe Foghorn Leghorn an apology ;-)
Inbreeding? Hey, that's one way to keep the "riffraff" out...
We should celebrate the fact - that the freaking Demoidiots continue to parade their ICONS before the public...
For so long as Byrd, Boxer, Kerry, Kennedy, Schumer, Clinton, Carter, Jackson, etc, etc, etc........run their mouth in public or show their asses --- the public will see the absence of rational leadership in that freaking party of fools.
I LOVE it, every time they broadcast the caterwauling of any of these clymers....
Semper Fi
Pork, pure and simple. The man has made sure that West Virginia has gotten it's share, and more, of the Federal Dollar ever since he's been in office.
Birds of a feather flock together.
bump!!!!!
Sounds a lot to me like they are risking a lot by taking the low road.
Too much Condoleeza bashing, and they will come away having dirtied themselves. The Republicans won't have to do a thing.
The attacks themselves smell like dirty daipers. Sooner or later your average person is going to wrinkle their nose at the democrats and look for some fresh air. Even if they are successful in getting Republicans into a race dialog, it is too obvious that the dems are the ones doing the pooping.
Don't forget the "impartial" MSM will show the sound bites out of context and give a "historical" perspective that spins everything in favor of the democrats. I say stick to the high road and stay on message and let the democrats continue their self destruction.
It looks like Pelosi probably won't be going anywhere. It looks like Boxer is the new rising star of the DNC!
Think of it - BOXER/HILLARY IN '08!!! Delicious
Ole Sheets Byrd probably paid a visit or two to the slave cabins. That's how OLD he is ;-)
Ole Robert has quite a way with words *LOL*
Ever see his bridge?
haha! :^D
Newsmax is tearing the rats up and spitting chunks of rat meat all over the room on this one! The gore! And Boxer is saying Condi attacked her? Sounds like she pulled back a stub when she tried to get catty. Happened so fast I hardly 'saw' it. Yikes! Just a few words from Condi catching her in the attack.... This is right from Reagan's playbook. [paraphrase] "You can't hit a home run if they don't throw you fast hard-balls."
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