[Cboldt]

He deserves some credit for making this particular speech, but not much when viewed against the overall body of his output.

I usually mock his speeches. It's easy to do so for delivery (although I find his delivery quite entertaining), and usually for substance.

But I found this speech to be well organized, well delivered, and surprizingly, he utterd substantive material that I am entirely in agreement with.

[Paloma_55]

But did he mention his dog "Billy"?!??

[milagro]

I did not watch the speeches for/against Judge Alito because I did not want to hear a bunch of bloviating--but Senator Byrd's speech, which I just read here, is NOT bloviating: it is EXCELLENT. I often cannot stand Byrd--and felt he really caved when it came to the impeachment of Clinton. I'm sure the "old Southern gentleman" in Byrd recoiled at Clinton--but at the time Byrd was not above the "rough and tumble" of politics and did not risk voting for impeachment.

This time, as Byrd suggests in his speech, he will probably face more political harm for voting against Alito than for him--but that does not take away from the power of his speech. It is an INDICTMENT of those Senators who abuse the confirmation process and injure not just the judicial nominee, but the republican form of government those Senators are supposed to serve and protect.

Therefore, I respect Senator Byrd for issuing this indictment, and am grateful for his speech, no matter what motivated him to give it.