C-Span Booknotes: Biden gave the Eulogy at Strom Thurmond's Funeral!

[KoKo]

Jack Bass is on C-Span II now talking about his book on Strom Thurmond.

He says he has quotes from Biden's eulogy in his book. Said Biden and Thurmond were close friends and Biden admired Thurmond because he could "work across the aisles" which isn't done much these days.

He also gave a little story about a legislator who kept trying to get Thurmond's ear about an "Abortion Bill." She kept trying to talk to Thurmond and dogged him constantly and finally Thurmond said: "Okay, send me the bill and I'll pay it." :eyes: The audience in the Charleston Library there to hear Bass pitch his book laughed at that comment after a slight pause.

Is anyone else listening to this? It's a Thurmond Love Fest....rewriting his memory.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here's a link to this book:


http://www.booktv.org/PublicLives/index.asp?segID=6053&schedID=368

Strom: The Complicated Personal and Political Life of Strom Thurmond
Jack Bass

Description: Strom Thurmond began his career in public office in 1929, was the Dixiecrat candidate for president in 1948, filibustered the 1957 Civil Rights Bill, and left the Senate in 2003 at the age of 100. Mr. Thurmond's life is the topic of "Strom: The Complicated Personal and Political Life of Strom Thurmond," a new book by authors Jack Bass and Marilyn Thompson. In it, the authors chronicle the historic events in Mr. Thurmond's life both personally and professionally and the influence he had in American politics in the south. Co-author Jack Bass spoke about the book at the Charleston Public Library in Charleston, South Carolina.

Author Bio: Jack Bass is the author of "Taming the Storm" and has covered Strom Thurmond's political career since the 1960s. He has written or co-authoerd six books about the American South. Marilyn Thompson has been covering Strom Thurmond since her days as a reporter in South Carolina in the 1970s. She has served as assistant managing editor for investigations at the Washington Post and currently serves as vice president and editor of the Lexington Herald-Leader in Lexington, Kentucky.

[nosmokes]

1. that's my cousin y'all talkin' bout...

distant cousin but i was still gobsmacked when i learned i was related to that wad. sheesh.

[FightinNewDem]

2. The backstory on Biden and Thurmond

Biden was elected to the senate in 1972, when he was only 29 years old (he turned 30 later in November).

Shortly before Christmas of that year, Biden's wife, Nelia, his two sons and his daughter were in a horrific car wreck while coming home from Christmas shopping. Biden's wife and daughter were killed instantly; Beau and Hunt spent months in the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Biden was an emotionally broken man when he arrived in Washington in January , 1973. In fact he considered refusing to take his senate seat, feeling that he needed to spend time with his two surviving kids.

Several of the "old bulls" of the senate, from both parties, took Biden under their wing, and helped him make it through the first year in the senate. Thurmond, Bill Fullbright and Hubert Humphrey were among those who helped Biden find his footing. Biden is, if anything, extremely loyal to his friends, and he never forgot Thurmond's help. They later served for many years together on the Judiciary Committee, and rarely agreed on anything, Biden being a staunch civil rights liberal and Thurmond being, well, Thurmond. But somehow, they maintained a coordial relationship despite their enormous differences in background, religion, ideology and values.

[KoKo]

3. Thanks for the background on that. Makes sense within that context.

It's hard to understand why he continues to be Dem Light and is the talking head corporate media's favorite Dem dominating the Pundit shows every weekend.

But, the friendship with Thurmond is understandable given the circumstances. I suppose given Thurmond's age there wasn't anyone left who had served long enough in the Republican Party to Eulogize him? :shrug:

[leesa]

4. Oh gee. What a surprise.