Replies

Partial transcript from interview with Tony Snow on 3/4/01:

SNOW: Race relations?

BYRD: They are much, much better than they've ever been in my lifetime. I think we — this is my personal opinion. I think we talk about race too much. I think those problems are largely behind us. I think we can all profit by our mistakes. I think we've reached a new plateau, and I think it's going to keep going upward, that understanding and race relations.

I just think we talk so much about it that we help to create somewhat of an illusion. I think we try to have good will. My old mom told me, "Robert, you can't go to heaven if you hate anybody." We practice that.

There are white niggers. I've seen a lot of white niggers in my time; I'm going to use that word. We just need to work together to make our country a better country, and I'd just as soon quit talking about it so much.

SNOW: Are you going to run again?

You'll also notice that if any republican had said that "these (race problems) are largely behind us," they would've been taken to the woodshed by the libs. But not Byrd...he's the conscience of the Senate.