Posted on 04/17/2005 6:35:22 PM PDT by smoothsailing
Sen. Byrd wants end to polarized politics
By TIM DOYLE
Journal Staff Writer
SHEPHERDSTOWN - U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., Saturday called on all West Virginians and Americans to reject the current "polarized and poisoned" national political climate.
The continuing "take no prisoners ugliness in politics" will only serve to further alienate the American people, Byrd said.
"We are all Americans," the eight-term U.S. senator said. "And America functions best when there is serious, civil, informed debate about real issues in a robust and respectful two-party system," Byrd said. Speaking to a luncheon crowd of about 250 people, Sen. Byrd was the keynote speaker for the West Virginia Young Democrats 2005 State Convention at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown.
The senator held Republican Party policies responsible for the deaths of 1,549 U.S. military personnel in Iraq and for trying to "kill" freedom of speech and dissent in the U.S. Senate.
"Inequitable and exorbitant tax cuts for the very, very wealthy have drained the public treasury," he said. "The unwise war in Iraq has blemished our reputation abroad, cost lives, and stretched our military thin, as well as plunged us deep into debt," Byrd said.
"Health care costs are going through the roof and highways are not being funded," the senator said. "Education needs go begging," he said. "Borders are dangerously unguarded."
Nevertheless, Byrd advised his Young Democrats convention audience not to "automatically demonize" the opposition. "The Republican government we now have in Washington is not good for America precisely because it squelches opposing views and stifles healthy debate," the senator said.
"Yet, all Republicans are not demons," he said. "Some of my best friends are Republicans."
Byrd called for both political parties to end their overheated rhetoric, extreme tactics and false charges. "It may take some time, but perhaps your efforts and your sincere and fresh idealism can get the emphasis back on the issues where it belongs," the senator told his Young Democrats audience in the Shepherd University Center Ballroom.
"Politics has become a discordant blur of shouting, punching and counter-punching, which frequently devolves into personal attacks," Byrd said.
"The challenge is to pick through the mayhem and find the truth," he said.
West Virginia Young Democrats President Derek Scarbro announced that the group had passed a convention resolution encouraging the 87-year-old senator to run for a ninth six-year term in 2006.
Sen. Byrd has raised more than $1 million for a re-election campaign but he has not yet announced that he will run, his press secretary, Tom Gavin, said following the Saturday's speech in Shepherdstown.
Jefferson County Young Democrats President Rod Snyder served as master of ceremonies for Saturday's convention luncheon. An invocation was offered by the Rev. Ernest Lyles of Shepherdstown.
HIRAM LEWIS RESPONDS
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
April 17, 2005
ALL REPUBLICANS ARE NOT DEMONS
Sen. Byrd Calls Hiram Lewis and Other Republicans Demons
CHARLESTON, WV - At the state's Young Democrats convention on Saturday, Sen. Robert C. Byrd, called for rejection of personal attacks and "polarized and poisoned" politics.
Then, he went on attack mode: "Yet, all Republicans are not demons," he said. "Some of my best friends are Republicans."
"Unfortunately," US Senate candidate Hiram Lewis said, "I am not one of his best friends, so he must consider me a demon. Personally, I take offense to that. Name calling is beneath a sitting Senator."
"I would ask Senator Byrd to apologize for that remark," Lewis said. "I am still holding my breath for the apology for calling Republicans Nazis."
"We saw TRUE demonic forces and pure evil on 9/11," Lewis added. "I volunteered to serve my country in the West Virginia Army National Guard to fight that demonic force and evil around the globe; so that a day like that will never occur again."
"Our President has lead the Global War on Terror and a majority of Americans have united behind his leadership. I enlisted to become a US Army Ranger in 1994, after I saw a U.S. Soldier drug through the streets of Mogadishu. That was evil. I have fought in the effort, and I will continue to fight that effort."
"Thank God for our President's leadership and resolve." "I believe to imply that the Administration is full of demons, is to agree with Osama Bin Laden who believes America is made up of demons and evil."
"America was founded by Christian men and women. The Constitution is based on Biblical principles and the God-given rights of freedom, liberty, and self-determination. To say otherwise is to stand-up for the terrorists and against the American people."
Paid for by Lewis for Senate, Inc. Matt Miller, Treasurer 416 Holland Avenue Morgantown, WV 26501 Phone:(304)692-1236 ©Copyright 2005 All Rights Reserved
Rats are going senile and losing it big time, byeeee!
Who made it so, Sheets? and try to be honest for a change.
heat .. kitchen.. yada yada.
Byrd wants and end to polarised politics? He helped create it. That is like Dr. Frnkenstein saying that he wants an end to freakish monsters. If he wants an end to polarised politics, then I am ready to accept his letter of resignation.
Sen Byrd only wants peaceful coexistance and room to grow.
amazing how the defeated are now ready to accept the surrender of the victorious.
Byrd could facilitate that by removing himself from the public square.
The only way this "senator" can reduce polarizing politics is to resign from office.
Squelching opposing views?
Hey liberals, I think you're holding a mirror.
Byrd talking down his nose about polarized politics is like a tree hugger using a chainsaw...
Mirror, meet Bob.
Typical of the old fart - to accuse others of his well practiced habits...
Sheets Byrd has become the poster child for the modern Democrat Party.
The KKK of the century - who MUST keep America's blacks poor, undereducated and on the Federal Plantation.
Without the black vote - the Democrats would cease to exist as a party.. Semper Fi
OF COURSE the left wants to unite with us. It's called free-loading.
They won't be happy until we invite them in our living room to take part in family activities, and then a night of free love-making with your own spouse.
I DO NOT want to be united with liberals. We're divided for very good reasons - because they thieve from us through taxes and (lack of) social responsibility. Capitalist mommy and daddy work for a living, while communist Junior wastes 4 years at college trying to "change the world, maaan" and "make a difference!"
DON'T unite with these people. Get them off our backs!
Byrd is shouting about bringing an end to the rancor and partisanship---?
Wasn't he the keynote speaker at that Moveon.org Rally last month---?
Wasn't he shaking his fist at the crowd, demanding that they don't give in to the EVIL Republicans?
Yeah, right, KKK---you are truly making a fool out of yourself and your party, and I am grateful for every word that drools out of your mouth!!!
Didn't he once say the same thing about negroes?
No... wait, probably not.
APf
The left has exerted significant effort to take over the democrat party. It has been DECADES in the effort.
They have infested and infultrated all things democrat party and now the democrat party is going to die so they must try and infest the republican party (see "log" "cabin" republicans)
The democrat party has only one function left, they are the party of death and the party of death must have their feeding tube removed and allowed to die.
For KKK Byrd to be calling for civility must mean his poll numbers are down. That senile, white n***** needs an electoral enema.
These types of politics will end when Senator Byrd removes his name from all the pork-barrel projects in West Virginia, returns the money from whence he diabolicallly stole it, and then retires!
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