Posted on 02/17/2005 12:34:51 PM PST by quidnunc
As he prepares to run for a record ninth term in the Senate, Bob Byrd has repositioned himself once again.
In the past, Byrd has been a preacher, a war hawk, a patriot, a Democratic leader, a prince of pork and a war dove. Am I leaving anything out?
Byrd adapts. He makes the habit of voting for him difficult to break.
His incarnation as Mr. Constitution is his cleverest. It gives Byrd a leg up in all arguments.
If one dares suggest that his latest speech in the Senate went a little too long, why one must be ignorant of the Constitution. He is the expert, after all. Anything he does or says by definition is constitutional.
Mr. Constitution gives him a scholarly title, academic credibility that must be very flattering to a man who boasts so frequently of the humbleness of his beginnings.
Finally, Mr. Constitution gives him immunity. West Virginians who disagree with him cannot possibly vote against him. Voters cannot allow political disagreements to deny the Senate the services of its expert on the Constitution.
As with his previous incarnations, the Mr. Constitution bit is hollow.
Wrapping himself in the Constitution is just as bad as his previous habit of wrapping himself in the flag and the Bible. Over the years, Byrd has not always followed the spirit of open debate in the Senate that he now says the Constitution guarantees.
For example, there was the little business of the deal he worked out with Vice President Walter Mondale to squelch debate on returning the canal to Panama.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.com ...
In the past, Byrd has been a preacher, a war hawk, a patriot, a Democratic leader, a prince of pork and a war dove. Am I leaving anything out?
Yes, he was also a Kleagle.
He's a smoker, he's a joker, he's a midnight toker.
... and a sheet.
Hey Don, we'll trade you our boxer for your byrd.
; )
Forgive my ignorance of Klan ranks, but what exactly is a Kleagle? Is that a head muckety muck? A local biggie? Midlevel bureaucrat? Just passed his freaky indoctrination?
A Kleagle is a Klan recruiter.
A kleagle recruits people to the KKK. So this bastard was making sure more people would join! I think a kleagle also was an attorney for the KKK, but dont quote me on that.
If Byrd were sincere, he would be a staunch opponent of the ACLU. He would be a huge critic of the 'judicial activist's' abuse and misuse of the 14th amendment. Since he does neither, he is nothing but a phony without real backbone.
When the Byrdman gets a pint of 'Rebel Yell' under his belt, then things really begin to happen on the floor: he staggers around in a Confederate colonel's uniform, shooting a small caliber pistol into the air while giving drunken lectures on senate history.
Of course the upper spectator loges have long emptied, and CNN gives him a 'bye'.
Where does this paper and author stand? They seem to be feeding high fastballs that just hang over the plate ready to be smacked out of the park. The 'Am I missing anything?' and the 'wrapping himself' in things just seems too obvious. Is he saying it without saying it, or is his ear really that tin?
Thanks for cluing me in. That is even worse than what I thought...although it explains his democrat affiliation.
Byrd wraps himself in white sheets and pointy hats, too.
Where's ma hood?
Having grown up in WV, I have watched this guy for a long time. I'm convinced that he is well into senility, but unless some multi-millionaire who is self-financing, like a Republican Rockefeller, turns up and volunteers to run against him, we will all be entertained by Byrd for at least another 6 yrs. unless he succumbs while "on duty."
Byrd is the perfect example of why we need TERM LIMITS
on all government officials. We apply this to the Executive
branch, why not the Legislative and Judicial branches?
The 22nd Amendment was passed because if FDR had survived
he would have been President for SIXTEEN years. Toward
the end, he was more dead than alive and this placed the
nation - in wartime - in danger. We have Supreme Court
justices who are unelected, unaccountable, out-of-touch,
and who serve until they are carried out. Congressmen
become wards of the taxpayers and the state and thus
become what the Founder's never envisioned: professional
bureaucrats and permanent employees of the state.
How stupid are the people of WV that they've elected old byrddroppings eight times?
Bryd was (and, as for as we can tell, still is, only in secret) "Grand and Exhalted, First Order and Knighted Kleagle of the Golden Guardians and Scared Whte Knights of the Klan." As such, his duties include ensuring that there are ample supplies of tar, feathers and timber (for crosses) in the territories and domains over which he has sovereign kleagality. I also understand that at the most recent Grand and Sacred Klaven of All Klanspersons (membership of females was initiated in 1964 or 1965 to ensure home cooking at Klavens and mud-wrestling for entertainment) in West Virginia, Byrd was also named "Klan Diversity Officer."
"Klan Diversity Officer."
Now there's a nice contradiction in terms.
They're not stupid, they're selfish.
Byrd is the undisputed, absolute king of pork.
No senator, comes close (Ted Stevens is a distant 2nd). Byrd calls himself a "multibillion dollar industry" for West Virginia.
The guy doesn't just bring home the bacon, he brings back the whole damn herd of of pigs.
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