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.
Prayers for this evil man, that he repented a lifetime of evil before his last moment.
Am I misremembering or has something gone down the memory hole?
I swear at one point during the run-up to the Clinton impeachment, Byrd was on TV and said that the President HAD committed high crimes and misdemeanors, but that he (Byrd) could get past that.
I thought at the time that those words being spoken by Byrd would get some attention, but they made no difference.
A quick Googling and I can’t find any stories about it.
Pity.
Who are likely GOP or Tea Party contenders for this seat?
I read it as “the unexpired term” of the candidate who is no longer in office or, as in this case, dead. So, how does it matter when an appointment is made, if the candidate died more than 2 years and 6 months before the end of the unexpired term?
This will be the interesting part of the process to find a replacement.
It could be argued that the remaining term will be the length of time from when the appointee is actually sworn in as opposed to when the actual vacancy occurred which would be at the death of Sen. of Byrd.
I don’t know if the rule will require calling a special election? The requirement mentions a ‘primary next’ and W VA has already had their primary for the upcoming Nov. election. Lots of unknowns as to the import of how this rule will be applied.
WV Ping
” I swear at one point during the run-up to the Clinton impeachment, Byrd was on TV and said that the President HAD committed high crimes and misdemeanors, but that he (Byrd) could get past that.”
Nothing wrong with your memory. I saw Byrd state this on TV at the time.
(no link)
BYRD SAYS CLINTON IS GUILTY< BUT POWERFUL DEMOCRAT SENATOR MAY VOTE TO ACQUIT TO SPARE NATION
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PA) - Monday, February 8, 1999
Author: JACK TORRY, POST-GAZETTE WASHINGTON BUREAU
Disclosing that he is torn about whether to convict President Clinton , Sen. Robert Byrd , D-W. Va., said he now believes that Clinton “lied under oath” about his sexual affair with Monica Lewinsky, and said there is “no doubt” in his mind that the president is guilty of “ high crimes and misdemeanors.
(snip)
With a vote on Clinton ‘s fate likely Thursday or Friday, Byrd said that “it would be very difficult to stand and say ` not guilty.’ Very difficult. Who’s kidding whom here? I have to live with myself. I have to live with my conscience. And I have to live with the Constitution. That Constitution is just like the Bible. You can’t write it over. But while suggesting that House Republican trial managers have persuaded him that the president committed impeachable offenses, Byrd said he may yet acquit the president because “of the best interest of the nation ... He has less than two years to serve, he has done a lot of good things, the American people don’t want him removed. And in the interests of our country, I may come to the conclusion that we should not remove him.
“His actions hurt me, you, all of the institutions of government ... The question is, ` Does this rise to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors?’ I say yes. No doubt about it in my mind. But the issue is: Should the president be removed. Byrd ‘s searing comments are a jarring setback to Clinton ‘s legal defense that twice last year he testified truthfully, that he never encouraged anyone to lie, and that he is a victim of a ruthlessly partisan investigation conducted by Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr and conservative House Republicans.
(snip)
Byrd also made abundantly clear that should he vote to acquit, it would be less of a favor for Clinton and more of a favor for the country.
“There has been such polarization, such a division among the American people, and to remove him, does that help that or does it make the wound deeper?” Byrd asked.
“No president will ever be removed, in my judgment, when the economy is at record highs. People are voting their wallets in answering the polls. They don’t want him removed. They know, as I know, about the wrongs that he has committed.
“We’ve all experienced a nightmare here. But in the interests of the future - and he has been hurt - he will not escape the judgment of history. He won’t be getting off scot-free. People 100 years from today will talk about this. I’m not going to be at all light in my excoriation of William Jefferson Clinton .
“What he did was deplorable. Inexcusable. A bad example. It undermined the system of justice, when he gave false testimony under oath. He lied under oath. But I can close that chapter. Byrd ‘s explosive interview, taped Saturday in his Senate office by ABC’s Cokie Roberts, was made public as senators yesterday wrestled with how to conclude the second presidential impeachment trial in history.
(snip)
Well, they`ve named virtually everything in W. Virginia after him, so I guess the only thing left is to name the state itself after him. I can see the signs now. Welcome to the state of Robert Byrd!
The only good DemocRAT is one at room temperature. Welcome to goodness Senator.
The Dems will "deem" him alive until July 4.
Yeah, that's the ticket!
Rest in Peace.
“Go into eternity with little rancor.”
IMHO Robert Byrd split Hell wide open at 3 o’clock this morning.
He died before his time.
Wow, I thought he was born as a baby and was shaped by what he was taught, his experiences, and his decisions throughout life.
So you don't believe in free will? You believe we are all robots fulfilling our little role, whatever that may be, is that right?
So in your viewpoint, Hitler was the man that God intended him to be?
RIP
Byrd was far from the worst Dim in the Senate. I know he was an anti-amnesty vote in 2006, and believe so also in 2007 (his voting record on immigration doesn’t show up at Numbers USA for some reason). He was about as close to a centrist Dim as still remained the the Senate.
Thank you, Maggie. I remembered most of it. This post proves that Sen. Byrd was nothing more than an eloquent charlatan.
On the one hand.... “ With a vote on Clinton ‘s fate likely Thursday or Friday, Byrd said that “it would be very difficult to stand and say ` not guilty.’ Very difficult. Who’s kidding whom here? I have to live with myself. I have to live with my conscience. And I have to live with the Constitution. That Constitution is just like the Bible. You can’t write it over. “
But Clinton is also a Democrat, so... on the other hand “ “There has been such polarization, such a division among the American people, and to remove him, does that help that or does it make the wound deeper?” Byrd asked.
May God have mercy on your soul, you old reprobate.
At least Kennedy has some company down there....
Obama’s comments on this one should be interesting.
The devil in the details will be the definition of when the vacancy occurred.
In addition to Gov Manchin, Secy of State Natalie Tennant is also a Dem.
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