Byrd Fingered in KKK Cover-up

NewsMax.com ^ | Thursday Jan. 16, 2003; 12:03 A.M. EST | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[Jean S]

A Washington, D.C.-based civil rights leader said Wednesday he has uncovered documents indicating that Sen. Robert Byrd, D-WV, was a member of the notorious anti-black hate group the Ku Klux Klan for a far longer period of time than he has admitted.

"Some people say that he was only in (the Klan) for a couple of months," said Kevin Martin, head of the African-American Republican Leadership Council, in an interview on Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes." "But we have documentation that says he was in for almost two years," Martin revealed.

On Monday, Byrd's spokesman Tom Gavin insisted to NewsMax.com that the Senator's days in the Klan, where he served as a Grand Kleagle-recruiter, lasted for just "a number of months" in 1943. Gavin said Byrd came clean about his secret past in a series of private conversations the two had over the last five years.

But according to an expert on the Klan quoted by the Washington Post last year, Byrd was still advising Grand Imperial Wizard Samuel Green on Klan appointments and strategy until at least 1946.

On Monday Gavin maintained that Byrd had told him he had nothing to do with any lynchings or cross burnings during his days in the Klan. But he also revealed that Byrd insists he wasn't ever a racist - not even as a card-carrying member of the night-riding terror group.

AARLC chief Martin vowed that conservative civil rights groups like the Congress of Racial Equality, Project 21, and the Brotherhood Organization for a New Destiny would ferret out the truth about the Democratic Party's ex-Klansman.

"We're going to lay the records out," said Martin. "And it's (the Democratic) Party that is the party of dogs, night-riders and Bull Connors."

On Tuesday BOND chief Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson called for a congressional investigation into Byrd's Klan past, saying his bizarre claim that he was racially tolerant as Klansman undermined his other assertions that he never participated in lynchings or cross burnings.

That's why the top Senate Democrat needs to "explain his relationship with the Klan" to congressional investigators, Peterson said. Any probe into Byrd's activities should cover "not only the actions that he took, but he should identify the people that were involved in the Klan at the time," he added.

"I really would like to see him name the people who participated in the lynchings of black Americans during that time," the Los Angeles-based civil rights leader said. "Because some of those people could still be involved in the legal system of this country making decisions about Americans today. And we need to know who those people are."

[Howlin]

He was just doing research on the KKK, right?

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[TLBSHOW]

bump

[LurkerNoMore!]

Hey.. that's our Kevin Martin, right?

[Howlin]

Yes, ma'am, it is.

[Howlin]

I hate the title of this piece!

[LurkerNoMore!]

:-)

[Fred Mertz]

You need to flag him to learn if it's him.

[TLBSHOW]

But is he a civil rights leader?

[KQQL]

YEP ..AKA TRUEBLACKMAN

[Trueblackman]

Some 2 years after Byrd was suppose to have left the Klan he was still in contact with the group and offering up appointments.

[ikka]

Byrd insists he wasn't ever a racist - not even as a card-carrying member of the night-riding terror group.

Well, it depends on the what the definition of "is" is...

I mean, hey, the KKK lynched some white guys too!

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

I'm sure this will make front page news across the country.

[afuturegovernor]

This is something that could be pushed just like the Patty Murray bunder.

[Stew Padasso]

oooh YEah!

A smackdown! Gotta love it.

[KQQL]

!

[Prodigal Son]

It should be interesting to see if the "big media" pick up on this.

[timestax]

bump

[Brett66]

The question he doesn't seem to want to answer is whether he was directly involved in lynchings, but I would like to know of his indirect involvement as well. How could he have not given his approval to lynchings as a high ranking member of the KKK? Who does he think he's fooling?

[dfwgator]

*sigh* Once again I get my hopes up only to see the source of the story is NewsMax.

[mass55th]

[Jean S]

Ping.

[Howlin]

Take a look at the wording of that title; we should have known.

[Howlin]

I wondered who the "keeper of the Byrd" pictures was......they were missing! Thanks.

[John Lenin]

Good work Kevin, you nailed him ! :-)

[NormsRevenge]

BUMP

[Ken H]

The RATs who tried to make hay over Lott's foolish remarks are going to be sorry they ever opened this can of worms.

Two Dem Senators, Patty bin Murray and "Sheets" Byrd, are learning that payback is a bitch.

[Humidston]

Not only is he OUR Trueblackman, check this out. He was fantastic tonight!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/823361/posts

[Trueblackman]

Give thanks to the Washington Post.

[Bogey78O]

And to think Duke only made it to a state level senator......

Imagine how far he'd go if he was a democrat.

[John Lenin]

But the effect is better when a black republican confronts him on it.

Bwahaha, I love it !

[LasVegasMac]

Time for an all out Freeper assault on the left wing media and the House / Congress critters, no?

This would make a real good issue about now.

Democrat-DemonRat-Demon-Rat.

LVM

[SwatTeam]

You make us all proud. Stay in their face and make them face the truth. The dems are the bigots and racists. And their holier than thou attitude is wearing thin. Wish I was close to D.C. I would join you in picketing the old fart from W.V. and his cohorts in the Senate minority.

[Walkingfeather]

Its nice to see we are playing some hard ball. We really need to hit this in the media when Byrds Civil war movie comes out where he plays a Civil war general.... icing on the cake.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

For information check this out: http://www.kukluxklan.org/district4.htm

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Hear, hear!!!!!!!

[Chad Fairbanks]

Me too... just the thought of Byrd being fingered, well, reminds me that it's almost time for me to think about annual prostate exams... and I HATE being reminded of that...

[thatdewd]

But according to an expert on the Klan quoted by the Washington Post last year, Byrd was still advising Grand Imperial Wizard Samuel Green on Klan appointments and strategy until at least 1946.

The New York Times had an article that talked about that in 1971, with excerpts from Byrd's letter to the klan's imperial wizard. The current leadership of the NYT would not be pleased if their original article was used to help burn one of their precious liberals now. Worth digging up.

[fatima]

Yes it is and we are proud.

[Conservababe]

Its nice to see we are playing some hard ball. We really need to hit this in the media when Byrds Civil war movie comes out where he plays a Civil war general.... icing on the cake.

So, what is the name of this movie and when will it be released? I must see this old gizzard wizard playing his role of general. LOL

[toenail]

"The Knights of the Ku Klux Klan is a strictly law-abiding organization. Every associate is sworn to uphold the law and the principles of justice, and that he will not conspire with others to commit any unlawful or violent acts."

I wonder if Byrd took a similar "non-violent" oath in his KKK days.

[fatima]

Bump

[fatima]

He did nail them,go Kevin Go.

[Walkingfeather]

don't know but there was a post on FR a few weeks back and a pict. of the old man in battle grays.

[SandfleaCSC]

Do you know what Robert Byrd and all West Virginia girls have in common????

The answer is dirty, FReepmail me for it. :)

[Free ThinkerNY]

[Robert_Paulson2]

my question:
Was klansman Byrd involved directly or indirectly with any lynchings?

If so, will we ever find out?

[Free ThinkerNY]

West Virginia Senator Plays Confederate General in Film

Nov. 23, 2001--Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia is the latest politician to take on a cameo role in "Gods and Generals," the Ron Maxwell movie currently filming near Keedysville, Maryland. Unlike his colleague Phill Gramm, who had to play a Virginia politician, Byrd will be portraying Confederate Gen. Paul Semmes of Georgia.

Byrd was attired in a beard and mustache along with a general's hat, gray greatcoat and saber. He said he had no objections to playing the role of a Georgian.

"You see, I'm a history buff. And anything I can do to preserve history for future generations, I want to do it," he told the Hagerstown Herald-Mail.

Maxwell has said he invited Byrd and other political figures to appear in the film because they could provide valuable publicity for both the film and for Maxwell's interest in saving Civil War battlefields.

The shot in which Byrd took part depicts the preparation for the Battle of Fredericksburg. Waiting nearby were Robert Duvall, who is playing Gen. Robert E. Lee, and Stephen Lang as "Stonewall" Jackson.

In the segment involving Byrd, the Confederate command meets around a table to discuss options. The fact that the battle actually took place in the dead of winter forced a brief halt in filming as the crew waited for the last of the leaves to fall from the trees.

Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski made an appearance at the movie shoot, taking advantage of Byrd's appearance in her state to present him with congratulations on reaching his 84th birthday.

The film crew surprised Byrd with a birthday cake in the shape of West Virginia after the shoot, said Vic Heutschy, publicist for the production crew. Maxwell also gave him a replica of a Civil War cannon as a gift.

"I won't soon forget this," said Byrd.

Filming is expected to be completed by Dec. 13 and the Warner Bros. production is set for release in early 2003.