Treasury's O'Neill, Senator Byrd Trade Barbs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A routine Senate hearing degenerated into a personal spat on Thursday when a furious Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill sparred with Democratic Sen. Robert Byrd, the longest-serving member of Congress, over who grew up poorer.

``I started my life in a house without water or electricity so I don't cede the high moral ground to you of knowing what life was like in a ditch,'' O'Neill said in a tight voice.

``I started out in life without any rungs in the bottom of the ladder...I've had that experience and I can stand toe-to-toe with you,'' Byrd riposted.

The West Virginia senator then threw in a reference to an early controversy involving O'Neill, who initially resisted putting his huge personal stock holdings into a trust when he was appointed Treasury secretary but eventually did so.

``I haven't walked in any corporate boardrooms. I haven't had to turn millions of dollars into trust accounts -- I wish I had those millions of dollars.'' Byrd said.

``I grew up in a coal-miner's home and I married a coal-miner's daughter, so I hope you don't want to start down this road and talk about our backgrounds and how far back we came from,'' he added.

Asked later about one report that there were tears in his eyes during the heated exchange with the 84-year-old West Virginia senator, O'Neill shot back: ``That was fire.''

The spat began when Byrd took offense to a cartoon in the Bush administration's 2003 budget document, released on Monday, showing Gulliver tied down by Lilliputians, which Byrd said implied the interests of ordinary people were too minor to warrant consideration.

The silver-haired Byrd, renowned for his insistence that the White House show respect for Congress, then snapped: ``I've been here for 50 years (and) we're here to represent the interests of the people.''

Byrd branded the cartoon's inclusion in the glossy, photo-filled, flag-emblazoned budget document -- a departure from the usual plain-paper, plain-cover plan the White House usually produces -- ``nonsense.'' He added: ``A lot of us were here before you. You're not Alexander Hamilton.''

Hamilton was the first secretary of the U.S. Treasury, who served from 1789 until 1795 and who established basic economic policy for the United States.

O'Neill, a wealthy former industrialist, was clearly agitated by Byrd's manner and fired back: ``I've dedicated my life to doing what I can to getting rid of rules that limit human potential and I'm not going to stop.''

Sitting ramrod straight at the witness desk, O'Neill rejected any implication that he lacked empathy for ordinary working Americans and cited his own humble beginnings -- sparking the tit-for-tat over who grew up in the greatest poverty.

Even after normal committee business resumed, the touchiness between O'Neill and Byrd did not die down.

As Republican Sen. Gordon Smith of Oregon led O'Neill through a series of gentle questions and said he hoped the Treasury secretary hadn't felt ``demeaned,'' he noted that O'Neill clearly didn't need the job.

Byrd quickly interjected. ``I don't need to serve here either. I could retire and get more money,'' he said tartly.

The exchange came at the start of O'Neill's fourth appearance on Capitol Hill this week to discuss and defend the Bush budget proposals, but it was by far the liveliest moment in the hearing. Veterans of the Senate Budget Committee took it in stride, though, especially Byrd's role in it.

``He's skewered witnesses before,'' a Senate aide said afterward. ``This is not a first.''

Nor is it the first tense moment between Byrd and the Treasury secretary, whose fondness for plain speaking has landed him in hot water with Congress before.

During a Senate Budget panel hearing last March, Byrd, a vocal guardian of Senate etiquette, took O'Neill sharply to task for interrupting Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat, as she questioned the Treasury chief about Bush's tax-cut plan.

That's about 40 years too long, you pompous old windbag! And furthermore, Mr. so-called Constitutional Scholar, you are a SENATOR therefore you are there to represent the interests of your STATE, the people are represented by their Congressmen.

Who does this SOB think he is anyway?

It seems to me that Byrd is the fellow who said that clinton done wrong, and then voted to acquit him. This former member of the Ku Klux Klan is a hypocrite of the first water.

I see the Rats at Reuters omitted O'Neill's reference to Byrd's previous KKK membership.

I wonder why. [/sarcasm off]

See actual comment here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/623899/posts

Look for 'Coloreds cannot enter here.' in Wash Post article.

You have to EARN respect. Apparently, Byrd is still locked into the KKK mindset which says that you must bow to every white political windbag coming down the pike. He gets real cranky when folks refuse to kiss his ring.

"Byrd quickly interjected. ``I don't need to serve here either. I could retire and get more money,'' he said tartly."

Hey, Bobby-boy...go for it! ----Senile old coot.

``I've been here for 50 years (and) we're here to represent the interests of the people.'' THE PEOPLE ARE THOSE PEOPLE WHO LINE HIS POCKETBOOK WITH MILLIONS OF PAY-OFF DOLLARS. THE PEOPLE ARE ALL THE FILTHY LOBBYING FRIENDS WHO HE HAS MADE RICH WITH CORRUPT LEGISLATION. THE PEOPLE BYRD IS TALKING ABOUT ARE THOSE WHO USE HIM TO CREATE LAWS SO THEY CAN STEAL OTHER PEOPLES MONEY AND GET AWAY WITH IT. THE PEOPLE HE IS REFERRING TO ARE THOSE WHO TREAT HIM LIKE HE WAS SOME KIND OF KING. ROBERT BYRD WILL BE REMEMBERED WITH HUEY LONG AND THE REST OF THE SOUTHERN REPROBATES. THE PEOPLE INDEED. BIGOTTED OLD HIPOCRITE.

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