Byrd seems to think he has a problem

Charleston Daily Mail ^ | 8/4/5 | Don Surber

[SmithL]

His early ads betray a sense of vulnerability

It is barely August and already the ad war for the U.S. Senate campaign has begun. The election isn't until November.

Wait. I just checked my calendar. That's November 2006.

Holy cow. A full 15 months before the election, the eight-term senator feels compelled to run ads to offset last week's ads by the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

The eyes of television sales managers across the state just lit up. Anyone want to help me open a Maserati dealership?

Not since Jay Rockefeller spent $12 million to get to the Senate 21 years ago has West Virginia had a hotly contested Senate race. Before that, voters had to go back to 1958 to find a true Senate race.

People know how I feel about Robert Byrd. I ain't going to waste the next 15 months' worth of columns on the subject.

I do admire his political skill, as well as his rise from poverty.

Byrd has not had a good four years. After his re-election in 2000, Byrd feinted left rather than right.

Rather than work with the first Republican first-termer to win the state in 72 years, Byrd became the Bush administration's leading critic.

Five days into the Bush administration, Byrd was railing against a tax cut that frankly saved the economy following the Sept. 11th attack.

There is nothing wrong with criticizing the president.

But there is nothing wrong with criticizing a senator either. The Republican ads were respectful and featured nice bluegrass music:

Announcer: "Nineteen fifty-two . . . War in Korea . . . and Robert Byrd went to Congress. Lot's changed since then . . . Byrd voted for soldiers in the fifties . . . Today, against body armor in the War on Terror. Back then, he stood with working families . . . Today he votes higher taxes for the middle class. Then, Byrd protected our flag . . . now he votes to allow flag burning. Senator Byrd . . . We agree he's changed. But is it good for West Virginia? The NRSC is responsible for the content of this ad."

Byrd's reply ad has the defensive tone of a campaign in full stride.

Announcer: "Out of state special interests are running false attack ads against our Sen. Robert Byrd. Their agenda: Privatize social security and tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas."

Man in blue shirt: "I'm Sgt. Jared Towner and I served in Iraq. Sen. Byrd has provided for us, bringing jobs to West Virginia, funding schools and hospitals, protecting our jobs and supporting our troops."

Byrd: "I'm Robert Byrd. I approved this ad because the people of West Virginia deserve the truth."

That is smart politics. Byrd's support of Judge John Roberts indicates that he's listening to the feedback as never before.

How this will play out is uncertain. Out-of-state donors are lining up behind Byrd and whoever runs against him. Byrd's early ad shows it will be a contested race.

But West Virginia voters ultimately will decide the winner.

You want to know the truth? I don't care who wins. I am just glad we will have a choice.

Don Surber may be reached at donsurber@dailymail.com.

[Katya]

"You want to know the truth? I don't care who wins. I am just glad we will have a choice."

For those of you not used to living in one party states this may not seem that big of a deal...but it is. I think the political process is always helped by vigorous debate...of course I want my side to win, but just having a viable choice is nice. I'm glad Hackett got 48% in the Ohio race...it means the republicans won't sit fat and happy assuming safe seats are safe.

[purpleland]

"To explain, I love the PBS UK sit com "Keeping Up Appearances" and its main character Hyacinth"

"Elizabeth, dear - come take tea at 3:25."

Yeah, love that "character", but I would not want to be a child of, a neighbor of, a friend of, etc, etc, of the overbearing Hyacinth Bucket.

So, Sen. Byrd is a lovable folksy Americana character in the sense that obsessed class-climbing Hyacinth Bucket is a lovable UK character. Byrd ain't even fictional...