Posted on 06/28/2010 2:35:45 AM PDT by careyb
Edited on 06/28/2010 3:51:06 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Published June 28, 2010
| FOXNews.com
Reuters
Feb. 2009: Sen. Robert Byrd doffs his hat for reporters as he arrives at the Capitol in Washington.
Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, the longest-serving senator in American history, died Monday at the age of 92, a spokesman for the family said.
Byrd, a Democrat who served in the U.S. Senate since 1959, had been plagued by health problems in recent years and was confined to a wheelchair. He had skipped several votes in Congress in the past months.
Jesse Jacobs, a family spokesman, said Byrd died peacefully at about 3 a.m. at Inova Hospital in Fairfax, Va.
He was the oldest member of the 111th Congress.
The passing of Sen. Byrd will not affect the balance of power in the Senate. West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, a Democrat, will appoint a replacement senator to serve out the remainder of Byrd's term which ends in 2012.
I suppose Huntington can squeeze room for one more statue....
....listening to the comments being said in the media about Byrd being a stickler for the Constitution by the rats, praise to no end.....and the height of hypocrisy from all who voted for bills never read and how current bills circumvent the Constitution.
Here’a a trivia question:
Has there ever been a higher percentage of appointees/replacements serving in the US Senate since the 17th Amendment was passed?
What are we at now, ~10%?
Byrd dons a sheet once again.
Well, politics aside, he did seem to fully reject KKK ideals in the past few decades. He was unworthy to serve as senator, but that does not mean he won’t see the face of the Lord.
I understand he was a superb parlimentarian and an ardent defender of the Constitution.
I detested most of Senator Byrd's politics, but I believe he was sincere in his religion, and in his defense of the traditional values of Western Civilization.
In Jesus' resurrection and ascension, God offers the greatest and only proof of His love and His promise that in death, there is life in faith. That--that, not chocolate bunnies and colorful eggs--is the great gift of Easter. Its comfort and solace linger on in the soul even longer than chocolate does on the lips. It warms us even more during sad times--yes--than does the spring sun after a cold and cheerless winter.And so it is because of this great gift, this promise--yes, this promise of everlasting life and the heart-searing proof through sacrifice that Christianity survived the passing of its founder. Nearly 2,000 years later, the words and example of the Rabbi from Galilee motivate and support over 2 billion--over 2 billion--people around the world. Governments have tried to stamp Him out, but still He endures in the hearts of His devout followers. Technology has tried to distract us, but still His word--yes, his word--beckons. I am sure that whatever trials and tribulations lie ahead, His teachings and faith will offer comfort and hope no matter how bleak the future might appear. In all of the moments of our lives, large and small, joyful and desolate, triumphant and abject, He--yes, He is there at our side with support and hope.
Rahm's already got him on his speed dial.
Now that's funny, ...
God created him. I don’t believe God makes mistakes. He was the man God intended.
How do you figure that? Who do you think the corrupt WV GOP can run, let alone be able to win? Remember, the GOP does not hold a single state-wide office even though WV went red in 2000, 2004 and 2008.
Yes. Let the members of his old KKK group morn his loss in private. I am sure that Sen Byrd will be conforted in the fact that he was covered one last time in a white sheet at the hospital.
Sen. Robert Byrd was nothing more than a racist protected by the DNC.
1) Byrd is the only Senator to have voted against the nominations of both Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas to the United States Supreme Court, the only two African-Americans to have been nominated to the court.
2) Mr. Byrd allied himself with Richard B. Russell, the powerful Democratic senator from Georgia and architect of the filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He joined Southern Democrats in opposition to the landmark legislation, which outlawed racial segregation in schools, public places and employment. Relying on licorice pellets and sips of milk for energy, Mr. Byrd filibustered for more than 14 hours in an effort to bury the legislation.
“Men are not created equal today, and they were not created equal in 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was written,” Mr. Byrd proclaimed during the filibuster. “Men and races of men differ in appearance, ways, physical power, mental capacity, creativity and vision.”
On Hal Greer Blvd. too!
ROTF!
Rest in Peace.
I think of his approach as "old school," fight hard, but fight fair. I believe he put the constitution ahead of the party. The new breed of Democrat is like a thug. I'll bet that Byrd detested the parliamentary wreckage worked by Reid and others. He (Byrd) openly detested the Supreme Court's "establishment / free exercise of religion" jurisprudence.
He lived a good life. I wish he had lost his Senate seat a couple decades ago, but that decision was in the hands of West Virginia voters.
We currently have five: CO-Bennet; DE-Kaufman; FL-LeMieux; IL-Burris; NY-Gillibrand. I don’t know offhand if there were more than 6 at any time since after the 1910s (there was 6 prior to Brown’s election in MA).
The repeated point was that Byrd was only "briefly" in the KKK, and only after starting his political career.
Byrd joined the KKK in 1942, and was an active member and/or support of the KKK for at least four years, including when he ran for the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1946.
Byrd's KKK history:
1942 - Joins KKK. Byrd is an officer in the KKK, not just a member. Roles include Grand Klegal (area recruiter) and Exalted Cyclops (Local branch leader)
1944 - Writes the following to Mississippi Senator Theodore Bilbo:
"I shall never fight in the armed forces with a Negro by my side ... Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds."
1946 - Writes to Dr. Samuel Green of Atlanta, Imperial Grand Wizard of the KKK:
"The Klan is needed today as never before and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia and in every state in the nation."
Perhaps four years out of 93 is "brief", but Byrd was in the Klan longer than Carter was President.
For the funeral, I recommend the hymn ‘Beautiful Robes So White.’
Actually, Brown came out and said he will not support the bill this time. Too many changes to the bill, within the committee, that he disagrees with.
Much more and we’d have to call it Byrdland.
5-6%, mostly Dems. Made a HUGE difference in Soetoro getting his ‘agenda’ passed, eh?
Thanks for the info!
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