That is a low blow.
Posted on 11/15/2005 4:13:24 PM PST by Carl/NewsMax
New York Senate hopeful Jeanine Pirro is blasting 2008 presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton for throwing a birthday party tonight for Ku Klux Klansman-turned-Senator Robert Byrd at the home of a civil rights pioneer.
"It's outrageous and shocking that Senator Clinton and her Democrat colleagues would choose Frederick Douglass' house to honor Senator Robert Byrd, who has a history of involvement with hate groups and has used racial slurs publicly," said Pirro spokeswoman Andrea Tantaros told the Associated Press.
"Any person who has made racially insensitive comments and participated in groups that promote ethnic prejudice - Republican or Democrat - does not deserve support from a United States senator, especially the senator from New York, at a landmark that is so cherished by those who respect and honor racial equality," Pirro's spokeswoman added.
Byrd joined the Klan in 1943 and rose the level of Kleagle before being unanimously elected to the office of Grand Cyclops. He claims to have resigned a few months later. But in 1946 Byrd wrote the Klan's Grand Imperial Wizard to express his support.
"Klan is needed today as never before and I am anxious to see its rebirth," the top Democrat urged.
Byrd led the filibuster of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and called notorious white supremacist Sen. Richard B. Russell, who was chiefly remembered for blocking anti-lynching legislation, "my mentor." In 1972 Byrd sponsored legislation to name the Senate's main office building after Russell.
As recently as 2001, the West Virginia Democrat was still using the N-word in television interviews.
Mrs. Clinton's spokesman, Howard Wolfson, defended her tribute to the longtime racist, saying Pirro's criticism was off base.
"Sadly, Ms. Pirro continues to wage a campaign of insults and attacks instead of offering New Yorkers a positive agenda," he said, without explaining why Mrs. Clinton was honoring the one-time nightrider.
The former first lady's tribute to the ex-Klansman is sure to spark comparisons with Sen. Trent Lott, who had to resign his Senate leadership post after he praised the late Senator Strom Thurmond at his 100th birthday party.
Though Thurmond was once a pro-segregationist Dixiecrat - he never joined the Klan.
Imagine if a Republican did this for an ex-klansman.
Has anyone ever done a search of whether or not there were any lynchings or cross burnings during Grand Bloogle Byrds reign as the Great Flooglehorn of the West Virginny clan?
I think it was our first President who pointed out that when everything is considered most will vote self interest over anything else.
I do not believe Pirro to date has really shown enough reasons to claim policy superiority. She can claim "moral superiority" but remember Gingrich and look what happened to him.
LOL, this is one of the best skewerings I've seen involving Byrd. After going after Lott, this is very well deserved. Even without the Lott incident, it has bothered me for a long time to have a Klansman current or ex in the Senate. Frankly just about anything is possible in today's Senate.
They're more 'enlightened', you know.(cough...cough)
Yes,it would be a double standard if a Republican did what Hillary did but I wish people would let go of this Byrd-Klan connection.It is very small minded.That was SIXTY years ago and Byrd has totally repudiated his stupid move of joining those idiots.
No way I would ever vote for either Byrd or Hillary but lets attack them on issues of SUBSTANCE,not some ancient indescretion.
"New York Senate hopeful Jeanine Pirro is blasting 2008 presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton for throwing a birthday party tonight for Ku Klux Klansman-turned-Senator Robert Byrd at the home of a civil rights pioneer."
It's for the white chulrun. The liberals A-L-W-A-Y-S get away with this poop.
There are a huge number of people who hate this country that want to bring it down with their lies. May they rot in HELL!
Oooops...sorry!
Ahem. You mean like the broadminded Democrats who gave Bush a pass on his National Guard service?
I agree. Byrd has proven to my satisfaction that he isn't a Klansman anymore. Imagine how many people are embarrassed about former connections with the Communist Party and the Democrats.
And where does it get reported? Paul Revere could do as well. The essence of the two party system. One can, one can't.
That sound was the first lightsaber being drawn out into play - let Pirro go on the attack - what a refreshing change to actually watch a republican go on the OFFENSIVE against a bleeding heart liberal like Clinton! Hillary needs to be sliced and diced up like so many people she has skewered in her politically driven life!
That is a low blow.
If you remember the incident that lost Trent Lott his majority leader post, then you'll know that, 60 years ago or not, the KKK is not in the past where Democrats are concerned.
Of course, there is no lack of substance to attack the both of them with, you are definitely correct on that.
Wolfson is just one big tape-loop. This is the exact same statement that he issues every time Hillary is ever criticized by anyone for anything.
I think his single cue card actually reads as follows:
"Sadly, [insert name here] continues to wage a campaign of insults and attacks instead of offering New Yorkers a positive agenda,"
Frankly, I don't think that Howard Wolfson even exists ....
A klansman is a little different then being a democrat. I am not so old that I don't remember the hatred the klan has for blacks......He didn't just accidently join and forget to resign; he was a leader of the klan.
I'll be she can get away with more of it than Rick Lazio did.
I am sure 60 minutes will do a piece on this. NY Times will have it front page in the morning, don't worry be happy.
I am sure Jesse and Al are finishing their press release denouncing this travisity as we type.
That was my first thought.
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