Byrd on WV

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Byrd: Kerry Needs Coal Dust on Hands To Win West Virginia

WASHINGTON (AP) - John Kerry can win West Virginia's five electoral votes by going there and getting coal ''dust on his hands and on his face,'' the state's senior senator said Sunday.

Sen. Robert C. Byrd, history's second longest-serving senator behind the late Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, also said Kerry should remember ''sovereignty rests with the people of this country.''

Appearing on NBC's ''Meet the Press,'' Byrd was asked whether Kerry can win West Virginia, a state Democrat Al Gore lost to Republican George W. Bush by 6 percentage points in 2000 despite the Democrats' 2-to-1 voter majority in the state. Gore's support of the environment has been cited as one reason.
''I'm the son of a coal miner. I married a coal miner's daughter. I know a lot about coal,'' said the 86-year-old Byrd, whose Senate career began in 1959, the year before John F. Kennedy's evocation of the plight of the West Virginia coal miner helped him win the presidency.

''Yes, coal is a dirty energy source, but look what we're trying to do. We're trying to clean it up. I've appropriated money over the years for coal research to make it cleaner,'' Byrd said.

''Yes, he can carry West Virginia. He will carry West Virginia if he continues to stand up for the liberties of the people,'' Byrd said.

''I've talked with him. I've told him he should go to West Virginia. He should shake hands with the people. He should be at their level and get a little coal dust on his hands. Get some of that dirty dust on his hands and on his face and live in spirit with the working people of this country, the coal miners. And always, always remember that sovereignty rests, John Kerry, sovereignty rests with the people of this country.''

The Kerry campaign reaffirmed the candidate's commitment to the state's miners and pointed out that he has proposed spending $10 billion to improve clean coal technology.

''John Kerry saw firsthand the work of the miners of West Virginia when he went down in a mine in the spring, and he received the endorsement of Cecil Roberts and the UMW (United Mine Workers). His commitment to these workers is personal,'' said campaign spokesman David Wade.

Kerry made his fourth campaign visit to West Virginia and his second this month last week. Bush has stepped up his visits to the Mountain State in the wake of Kerry's appearances, making his 10th trip last week.

[qwerty]

I heard Kerry was planning a trip to the Robert K. Byrd Burning Cross Museum in Wheeling.

[Shira]

Byrd: Kerry Needs Coal Dust on Hands To Win West Virginia

WASHINGTON (AP) - John Kerry can win West Virginia's five electoral votes by going there and getting coal ''dust on his hands and on his face,'' the state's senior senator said Sunday.

Sen. Robert C. Byrd, history's second longest-serving senator behind the late Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, also said Kerry should remember ''sovereignty rests with the people of this country.''

Appearing on NBC's ''Meet the Press,'' Byrd was asked whether Kerry can win West Virginia, a state Democrat Al Gore lost to Republican George W. Bush by 6 percentage points in 2000 despite the Democrats' 2-to-1 voter majority in the state. Gore's support of the environment has been cited as one reason.
''I'm the son of a coal miner. I married a coal miner's daughter. I know a lot about coal,'' said the 86-year-old Byrd, whose Senate career began in 1959, the year before John F. Kennedy's evocation of the plight of the West Virginia coal miner helped him win the presidency.

''Yes, coal is a dirty energy source, but look what we're trying to do. We're trying to clean it up. I've appropriated money over the years for coal research to make it cleaner,'' Byrd said.

''Yes, he can carry West Virginia. He will carry West Virginia if he continues to stand up for the liberties of the people,'' Byrd said.

''I've talked with him. I've told him he should go to West Virginia. He should shake hands with the people. He should be at their level and get a little coal dust on his hands. Get some of that dirty dust on his hands and on his face and live in spirit with the working people of this country, the coal miners. And always, always remember that sovereignty rests, John Kerry, sovereignty rests with the people of this country.''

The Kerry campaign reaffirmed the candidate's commitment to the state's miners and pointed out that he has proposed spending $10 billion to improve clean coal technology.

''John Kerry saw firsthand the work of the miners of West Virginia when he went down in a mine in the spring, and he received the endorsement of Cecil Roberts and the UMW (United Mine Workers). His commitment to these workers is personal,'' said campaign spokesman David Wade.

Kerry made his fourth campaign visit to West Virginia and his second this month last week. Bush has stepped up his visits to the Mountain State in the wake of Kerry's appearances, making his 10th trip last week.

Kerry is going to lose in WV

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Why are you so sure of that?

[Lunar]

I watched that interview actually.  The part about it being dirty was when the interviewer (forgot his name) was asking if Kerry could resonate with the West Virginians if his website refers to coal as a dirty energy source.

[??????????]

"Bedsheets" Byrd is going to do anything to get Kerry WVA.

[agcatter]

Chris Mathews said Tip O'Neil used to refer to Byrd as "sheets".  Pretty funny.  Can anyone possibly imagine any GOP Senator getting the kind of pass Robert Byrd has gotten after being in the KKK?

Must be great to be a Democrat.

[MODU]

Just remember the flak over Trent Lott two years ago.

[agcatter]

Yeah, I started to add that.

[??????????]

Just remember the flak over Trent Lott two years ago.

And Lotts comments weren't even racist!! Byrd was using the word n**ger on the floor of the Congress!!! Yeah Democrats where are you speaking out against this?

[agcatter]

as expected

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Um... could you all discuss what Byrd said in the interview (which is interesting) and not the whold KKK thing?
Just pretend a journo said it...

[Ben.]

Byrd was a member of the KKK in his youth and has repeatedly said that it is not something he is proud of at all added to this at the time that Byrd was beginning his political carrier some support, eve tacit approval from the KKK was at the very least extremely helpful, many people in Germany in the 1930’s did like wise that doesn’t excuse it but it does place it in context.

[Ben.]

...tacit approval from the KKK was at the very least extremely helpful, many people in Germany in the 1930’s did like wise that doesn’t excuse it but it does place it in context.

I never realized the KKK had branched out to Germany.

I was not referring the KKK in Germany I was referring to many people doing what Bryd did in the 1940's and 50's with relation to the KKK with the Nazis in 1930's Germany.  

[12th Doctor]

...tacit approval from the KKK was at the very least extremely helpful, many people in Germany in the 1930’s did like wise that doesn’t excuse it but it does place it in context.

I never realized the KKK had branched out to Germany.

I was not referring the KKK in Germany I was referring to many people doing what Bryd did in the 1940's and 50's with relation to the KKK with the Nazis in 1930's Germany.  

Byrd was acctually in the Klan though, hewas an actve member.  One of the leaders in the state.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

...tacit approval from the KKK was at the very least extremely helpful, many people in Germany in the 1930’s did like wise that doesn’t excuse it but it does place it in context.

I never realized the KKK had branched out to Germany.

I was not referring the KKK in Germany I was referring to many people doing what Bryd did in the 1940's and 50's with relation to the KKK with the Nazis in 1930's Germany.  

Byrd was acctually in the Klan though, hewas an actve member.  One of the leaders in the state.

Actually he was a recruiting guy (keliegal or summet)... he seems to have used it as a cynical way to get name recognition...

[classical liberal]

well it worked to get him elected so good on him

[Lunar]

I'm not sure which is more immoral though, being a racist or pretending to be one for political reasons.

[WalterMitty]

i just passed through wva, and byrd has his name on everything in the state.  how many freakin' 'robert byrd highways' are there?

he is a racist.  it matters very little now because the man is completely senile.  him and arlen specter should be playing bridge together in a rest home.

[classical liberal]

i just passed through wva, and byrd has his name on everything in the state.  how many freakin' 'robert byrd highways' are there?

he is a racist.  it matters very little now because the man is completely senile.  him and arlen specter should be playing bridge together in a rest home...

...with about half of the other senators.  Note that the word senile and the word senator have a common root word in the Latin senax, meaning "old man".

[freedomburns]

I'm not sure which is more immoral though, being a racist or pretending to be one for political reasons.

It is really hard to get behind Byrd and support a former avowed racist.  I can't look to him for leadership in the Dem Party.  I really don't want him in the Senate any more than I wanted Strom Thurmond in the Senate, or William Rehnquist in the Supreme Court (also an active racist in his youth).  Get those old-school, bass ackwards guys the heck outta politics.  Their time has passed.

BTW, I graduated from Strom Thurmond High School.
Edgefield, SC...a town with one stop light.  
Don't blink...you might miss it.

[Lunar]

BTW, I graduated from Strom Thurmond High School.
Edgefield, SC...a town with one stop light.  
Don't blink...you might miss it.

My town has none, hah.

[freedomburns]

BTW, I graduated from Strom Thurmond High School.
Edgefield, SC...a town with one stop light.  
Don't blink...you might miss it.

My town has none, hah.

Count your blessings.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

i just passed through wva, and byrd has his name on everything in the state.  how many freakin' 'robert byrd highways' are there?

"When I'm finished all roads are going to lead through West Virginia"

A lot in other words

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His views c.1950 were certainly racist... by todays standards. At the time his actual views would have been normal.
Things have changed a lot since the '50's thankfully...
As for senile... possibly but not in a "normal" way... anyone who reads up on Senate rules in his spare time (as Byrd does. And I'm not making this up) is not normal...

To Lunar: tough question... and the same could be said of George Wallace, Strom Thurmond et al...
In 50 years time people will ask the same question of people who cynically use todays wedge issues to get elected.

[??????????]

Al,

You don't like my sig?