Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia (third from the right)
/s
Posted on 05/08/2007 9:18:02 AM PDT by KingofZion
Throughout the Iraq war, one of President Bush's loudest Democratic critics has been the longest-serving member of the Senate: Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia. ***
Yet the octogenarian lawmaker's voice was quavering as he spoke, his regal bearing a bit unsteady. It was another indication that all is not well with Byrd, an institution within an institution, who turned 89 in November after winning a ninth Senate term.
The war debate now unfolding in Congress is tailor made for Byrd, fusing his three celebrated Senate roles: Appropriations chairman (the legislation on the table is a spending bill); resident constitutional scholar (Democrats and Bush disagree on Congress's rightful role in war policymaking, and Byrd keeps a copy of the Constitution in his breast pocket); and ardent critic of the Iraq war.
Yet instead of leading the charge, Byrd deputized Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) to manage the high-profile floor debate. His public appearances are growing increasingly irregular. Last week, the senator delivered two Senate floor speeches and posted an opinion column on a progressive Web site. But he skipped the enrollment ceremony that Democratic leaders held before sending the first version of the war spending bill to the White House -- even though, as president pro tempore of the Senate, it is Byrd's job to "enroll" the bill. Instead, he inked his shaky signature to the parchment document beforehand. ***
The senator's Democratic colleagues offer different explanations for Byrd's uneven state, ranging from old age to spring allergies to lingering grief from his wife's death last year. "You know, there are some limits with the senator's involvement, but he's part of this process, and he will continue to be," Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), said of Byrd's role in the Iraq debate.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
As I wondered in the last term of Strom Thurmond...who in Senator Byrd’s office is ‘playing Senator’ these days?
Cause its obvious this guy isn’t playing with a full deck these days.
Guess the old Klan member just can’t light any more fires these days.
But did he pull his mini-Constitution out of his pocket and wave it about?? It doesn’t make my day until “KKK” Byrd pulls out the mini-Constitution!! :-)
Oh, and I think they should name more institutions after this ‘Great American’ **coughracistcough** in West Virginia. You can never honor someone like this enough, I always say.
/sarc off
Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia (third from the right)
/s
does Byrd actually represent anyone?
“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.” — Senator Robert Byrd
I see what you’re talking about, sinator.
Only the good die young.
If that’s true, then this SOB will live to be 188 years old, and Clinton will outlive him!
LOL!!
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