GOP Puts Up First Senate Campaign Ad Targeting Byrd

AP via TBO.com ^ | Jul 28, 2005 | Will Lester

[NewMediaFan]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republicans accuse West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd of sharply changing his priorities over the last five decades in the first television ad purchased by either of the campaign committees in a warmup to the 2006 congressional campaign.

The Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee announced Thursday it has spent "tens of thousands" of dollars for an ad that will start Friday and run on network and cable television in the Charleston, W.Va., market. The final amount spent and length of time the ad will run have not been settled, said Brian Nick, a committee spokesman.

The ad shows a picture of Byrd as a brown-haired young man with a bow tie and a fiddle under his chin that alternates with a picture of the white-haired senator, who is now 87. Byrd entered the Senate in 1958 and is in his eighth term.

"Byrd voted for soldiers in the 50s, but he voted against body armor in the war on terror. Back then, he stood with working families ... today he votes for higher taxes for the middle class." The first claim refers to a 2003 bill providing money for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the second refers to Byrd's votes against President Bush's proposed tax cuts.

Ned Rose, chairman of Byrd's campaign committee, said Byrd is working to save the Air National Guard base in Charleston and improve health care for veterans. Byrd has fought GOP budget cuts for Medicaid, education, health care and job training, Rose said.

Byrd hasn't formally announced he will run for re-election, though aides say they expect him to run. The GOP field is uncertain, though Republican activists hope Rep. Shelly Moore Capito challenges Byrd.

Byrd's seat is one of 33 Senate seats up for election in 2006.

[k2blader]

B-but, Byrd supports Roberts!

[Rebelbase]

[eureka!]

"B-but, Byrd supports Roberts!"

LOL. Too little, too late. The 'rats are going to have to put a lot into the defense of a formerly safe seat. Nice to see the GOP planting seeds now (as I believe they did with Dasshole)...

[asp1]

I hope this miserable, nasty old man is retired after the next election. It shouldn't be that hard.

[philo]

Some items funded by taxpayers – but still somehow named after "Robert C. Byrd" – are: The Robert C. Byrd Highway; the Robert C. Byrd Locks and Dam; the Robert C. Byrd Institute; the Robert C. Byrd Life Long Learning Center; the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program; the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope; the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing; the Robert C. Byrd Federal Courthouse; the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center; the Robert C. Byrd Academic and Technology Center; the Robert C. Byrd United Technical Center; the Robert C. Byrd Federal Building; the Robert C. Byrd Drive; the Robert C. Byrd Hilltop Office Complex; the Robert C. Byrd Library; the Robert C. Byrd Learning Resource Center; the Robert C. Byrd Rural Health Center. And then it got late, and I had to stop researching. But it appears that every slab of concrete in West Virginia is named after Bob Byrd.

You probably need to go to the Robert C. Bryd Polling Place to vote against him

[asp1]

LOL! What a narcissistic old fool! Why don't they just rename the state and remake all West Virginians in Byrd's image. Jeeze, what a hideous creature.

[Jaysun]

Have you seen him outside of his deranged harangues on the floor? He can barely walk. I think he's already dead. I think he's been dead for months, perhaps years.

[AzaleaCity5691]

I think Capito would do better to run against Munchkin (I think thats his name) in 2 years.

[Fee]

In West Virginia, criticism of Byrd's involvement in the KKK will not hurt him there. If I were the GOP I would not use that theme. Byrd is vulnerable because of his age, his voting record with the liberal Democrats in the Senate. Ironicly Obama will not help Byrd in gaining the white rural voters. Unfortunately there is pockets of 1950's thinking in WV when it comes to race relations.