Sen. Robert Byrd endorses Obama

[Pirate Smile]

The Charleston Gazette reports an endorsement deep with symbolism: West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd is endorsing Barack Obama.

"Barack Obama is a noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian, and he has my full faith and support," Byrd says.

He said he has "no intention of involving myself in the Democratic campaign for President in the midst of West Virginia's primary election. But the stakes this November could not be higher."

Byrd, 91, a master of Senate rules and Iraq war foe, has spent much of his political career repenting the racism of his youth. He's acknolwedged having joined the Ku Klux Klan in 1942, and campaigned against civil rights legislation in the 1960s.

In The Audacity of Hope, Obama wrote of meeting Byrd, and their joint awareness of the past; his endorsement is a note of reconciliation that underscores Obama's message.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0508/Sen_Robert_Byrd_endorses_Obama.html

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Ouch.

Wasn't he Clinton's senate mentor?

[grantcart]

31. the adults in the party are taking over

[goclark]

44. Another Link nt

http://wvgazette.com/latest/200805190255

[book_worm]

2. He joins Jay Rockefeller in endorsing Obama

Now let's get ready for some Hillbots to point out that Byrd was briefly a member of the KKK.

[BattyDem]

19. I hope they do point it out.

Byrd's past makes his endorsement even more significant. :-)

[Cha]

103. Precisely, BattyDem.

Very Significant and more than a little poignant for Byrd.

[Inuca]

23. Yes, he was

which only makes his endorsement more noteworthy and heavy with symbolism. Very gald to see this (though had he announced a week ago... but I understand his reticence).

[sasquatch]

114. If you had post #20, you're a winner

[Zachstar]

3. Hell yes!!

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

4. Byrd was the main voice of opposition to the Iraq War Resolution

too bad Hillary didn't listen.

[bicentennial_baby]

5. Nice

:)

[Waya]

6. Byrd, at 91, still has more sense in his little finger......

....than the whole Repuke Party collectively....

[Zachstar]

7. Amen!!

[mod mom]

48. This Speech on the IWR comes to mind:

Sen. Byrd on the IWR - Oct 4, 2002

http://www.counterpunch.org/byrd1004.html

October 4, 2002

Bush War Plan:
"Blind and Improvident"
by SENATOR ROBERT BYRD

The great Roman historian, Titus Livius, said, "All things will be clear and distinct to the man who does not hurry; haste is blind and improvident."

"Blind and improvident," Mr. President. "Blind and improvident." Congress would be wise to heed those words today, for as sure as the sun rises in the east, we are embarking on a course of action with regard to Iraq that, in its haste, is both blind and improvident. We are rushing into war without fully discussing why, without thoroughly considering the consequences, or without making any attempt to explore what steps we might take to avert conflict.

The newly bellicose mood that permeates this White House is unfortunate, all the moreso because it is clearly motivated by campaign politics. Republicans are already running attack ads against Democrats on Iraq. Democrats favor fast approval of a resolution so they can change the subject to domestic economic problems. (NY Times 9/20/2002)

Before risking the lives of American troops, all members of Congress - Democrats and Republicans alike - must overcome the siren song of political polls and focus strictly on the merits, not the politics, of this most serious issue.

The resolution before us today is not only a product of haste; it is also a product of presidential hubris. This resolution is breathtaking in its scope. It redefines the nature of defense, and reinterprets the Constitution to suit the will of the Executive Branch. It would give the President blanket authority to launch a unilateral preemptive attack on a sovereign nation that is perceived to be a threat to the United States. This is an unprecedented and unfounded interpretation of the President's authority under the Constitution, not to mention the fact that it stands the charter of the United Nations on its head.

(snip)

Congress has a responsibility to exercise with extreme care the power to declare war. There is no weightier matter to be considered. A war against Iraq will affect thousands if not tens of thousands of lives, and perhaps alter the course of history. It will surely affect the balance of power in the Middle East. It is not a decision to be taken in haste, under the glare of election year politics and the pressure of artificial deadlines. And yet any observer can see that that is exactly what the Senate is proposing to do.

The Senate is rushing to vote on whether to declare war on Iraq without pausing to ask why. Why is war being dealt with not as a last resort but as a first resort? Why is Congress being pressured to act now, as of today, 33 days before a general election when a third of the Senate and the entire House of Representatives are in the final, highly politicized, weeks of election campaigns? As recently as Tuesday (Oct. 1), the President said he had not yet made up his mind about whether to go to war with Iraq. And yet Congress is being exhorted to give the President open-ended authority now, to exercise whenever he pleases, in the event that he decides to invade Iraq. Why is Congress elbowing past the President to authorize a military campaign that the President may or may not even decide to pursue? Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves?

(snip)

The President is using the Oval Office as a bully pulpit to sound the call to arms, but it is from Capitol Hill that such orders must flow. The people, through their elected representatives, must make that decision. It is here that debate must take place and where the full spectrum of the public's desires, concerns, and misgivings must be heard. We should not allow ourselves to be pushed into one course or another in the face of a full court publicity press from the White House. We have, rather, a duty to the nation and her sons and daughters to carefully examine all possible courses of action and to consider the long term consequences of any decision to act.

(snip)

The questions surrounding the wisdom of declaring war on Iraq are many and serious. The answers are too few and too glib. This is no way to embark on war. The Senate must address these questions before acting on this kind of sweeping use of force resolution. We don't need more rhetoric. We don't need more campaign slogans or fund raising letters. We need - the American people need - information and informed debate.

(snip)

Robert Byrd is the senior senator from West Virginia. This is the text of his remarks to the senate on the Bush war resolution.

[annabanana]

92. Senator Robert Byrd is magnificent.

In an Age of Sanity, this speech would have swayed hearts and called honest men and women to examine themselves and their Duty to America.

[Historic NY]

100. Its been a while but I remembered most of Sen. Byrd's word with

great clarity. Thanks for refreshing his oratory.

[mmonk]

108. Remember it well.

I went out and bought his book, "Losing America, Confronting A Reckless and Arrogant Presidency" after that.

[JimGinPA]

8. Wow! Just Wow!

That's a surprise.


K&R

[AllentownJake]

9. Wow

That's huge!

[Cha]

104. It's even more huge because

hilary won West Virginia and that didn't hold any water for Byrd..He's going with who he thinks is the best for our Country.

[1_cali_dem]

125. WOW IS CORRECT!

Boom Baby!:nuke: And as Clintion speaks delusionally of the popular vote, Mr. Byrd jumps up a few rungs on the ladder of respectability. Go Byrd! GoBama! :yourock:

[thewiseguy]

10. Is he a superdelegate?

:evilgrin: :hide:

[book_worm]

18. Yes, as a U.S. Senator he is a super delegate.

[John Q. Citizen]

21. Every US senator and Congress person is a super delegate.

[DearAbby]

11. !!!

:wow:

[dana_b]

12. wow, that's big! n/t

[cali]

13. that's a big endorsement for Obama. Huge, in fact.

Hillary won WV by 41. I've never been a huge fan of Byrd's because of his racist past. Good for him.

[Pirate Smile]

17. It is a wonderful sign of progress and redemption.

:)

[Inuca]

28. Exactly!!

Beautiful

[Zambero]

87. That was an awful long time ago

The current pope was also a member of the Hitler Youth. What might have been an acceptable association in a certain place during a certain time is one thing. The adult Robert Byrd quickly renounced the Klan and has expressed deep regret that he was ever associated with them. I give him a lot of credit for moving in the right direction at a time when the Klan still had a lot of power and influence.

[BattyDem]

14. Awesome!

:applause:

[ej510]

20. Ex KKK member endorses Obama.

[thewiseguy]

25. Longest serving member in Senate endorses Obama!

:shrug:

[graycem]

36. Proof that people

can change their ideas and redeem themselves.

[BlooInBloo]

65. Not to the hopeless, they can't. That's what makes them hopeless: nothing can change.

[graycem]

71. hehe.. I know many want it to be that way, but

as Andrea said to Pat, "but the world has changed Pat!"

[BattyDem]

38. Byrd's past makes the endorsement even more significant.

:)

[dchill]

42. Your coming has been prophesied!

See post #2.

[Norwood]

47. Hannity is that you??

[IronLionZion]

76. Grumpy old white hardworking Appalachian-American man from West Virginia

Oh fuck it. The most experienced Senator endorses Obama.

[Cha]

105. That's right! Obama's that good.

:)

[ProSense]

15. Excellent. n/t

[hogwyld]

While I am glad to have him join us

I sure wish he would have made this announcement BEFORE the vote in WV.

[Occam Bandage]

29. As do I. Still, nobody can accuse him of disrespecting the process now.

[Zachstar]

32. Amen!

[OnionPatch]

82. Yeah, why did he wait until now?

It would have done more good last week. :shrug:

[Cha]

106. My take on this is it's even more important

now and Obama is winning no matter who did what when.

Byrd said he didn't want to insert himself into the primary and it didn't matter to him that hilary won West Virginia with her lying and pandering ..he still went for Obama. :patriot: :bounce: :kick: :party:

[DevonRex]

16. Snoopy Dance!!! nt

[4_Legs_Good]

22. Yowza!

That's fantastic.

:) :) :)

David

[leftofcool]

24. Good! At least he didn't endorse Hillary

[DevonRex]

37. Since he voted NO on the IWR, he wouldn't have endorsed her

unless she had become the dem nominee. So you didn't need to worry about that. :)

[NatBurner]

26. that's huge

[Occam Bandage]

27. Reconciliation and redemption at its finest.

[jenmito]

30. Wow. That's deep! Great one!

:hi:

[slinkerwink]

33. woot! another superdelegate!

[Renew Deal]

34. Byrd is one of the most respected men in the senate

And the President pro tempore. Pretty cool

[oldpol]

35. The ol Mountain Fiddler comes on through to the 21st Century!

add another one to the total!

[Tatiana]

41. Cool pics!

This is a beautiful symbol of redemption and reconciliation.

[Spiffarino]

119. Never heard him play

Is he any good?

[Adelante]

39. Very nice

:)

[MoJoWorkin]

40. I am bawling all over my computer. This is unbelievably significant!

[Lucky 13]

Oooh. That one's GOTTA hurt!!!

This is a BIG endorsement. While it came too late for WV, it may have some sway with Kentucky!!!

[slinkerwink]

43. Former Klansmember Endorses Obama!

[DangerousRhythm]

45. That's just awesome!

:woohoo:

[FrenchieCat]

46. I find this endorsement symbolically ironic and deeply moving.

And I am impressed with Senator Byrd. Even he has come to understand that melanin is only skin deep, and that like MLK stated; judge by the content of the character.

Today, Sen. Byrd makes me proud to be an American! :patriot:

[Rob_4_Obama]

49. Tears to my eyes as well

Huge and very significant endorsement. Moving as well.

[oldpol]

50. he's still walking around the Senate with help! I'm proud of him too...

[seafan]

51. God bless Senator Robert Byrd.

Byrd.senate.gov


Byrd endorses Obama for president

By Paul J. Nyden
Staff writer

May 19, 2008

Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., endorsed Barack Obama for president shortly after noon today, focusing on his hope to end the Iraq War.

"As people all across this great nation know, I have been one of the most outspoken opponents of the Bush administration's misguided war in Iraq and its saber rattling around the globe," Byrd said.

He said he had "no intention of involving myself in the Democratic campaign for President in the midst of West Virginia's primary election. But the stakes this November could not be higher."

Byrd praised both Obama and Hillary Clinton, saying their "integrity, honor, love for this country and strong belief in our Constitution I deeply respect...

"Barack Obama is a noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian, and he has my full faith and support," Byrd concluded.

[oldpol]

53. he's a champion of the Constitution in the Senate

[mmonk]

111. Yep. Always pulls out that pocket constitution as he takes the floor.

[tishaLA]

52. Good for Byrd! And good for Obama!

I'm really impressed with this. When I read the headline, my first thought was "what?" and then, reading it, I was moved. "A noble-hearted patriot and humble Christian..."

Sometimes things are far simpler than they might seem.

[amb123]

54. Wow!

A man who started his political career as an unrepentant segregationist endorsing a black man for President of the United States.

Talk about history in the making!

:patriot:

[oldpol]

63. congressional records

On November 7, 2006, Byrd was elected to an unprecedented ninth consecutive term in the Senate. He became the longest-serving senator in American history on June 12, 2006, surpassing Strom Thurmond of South Carolina with 17,327 days of service. Previously, he already held the record for the longest unbroken tenure in the Senate (Thurmond served 48 years in total, but vacated the office between April and November of 1956). Considering his tenure as state legislator from 1947 to 1953, Byrd's service exceeds 60 years, and he has never lost an election. Byrd has cast a total of 18,000 votes as of June 21, 2007, the most of any senator in history.<12> Upon the death of Senator George Smathers of Florida on January 20, 2007, Byrd became the last living United States Senator from the 1950s. He would pass Carl Hayden of Arizona as the longest-serving member of Congress (House and Senate tenure combined) in American history if he remains in service until November 19, 2009 (when he will complete 20,774 days in the Congress to Hayden's 20,773). Byrd is the last remaining Senator to have voted on a statehood bill and has served longer in the Senate than eight of his colleagues have been alive (those being Bob Casey, Jr., Amy Klobuchar, Blanche Lincoln, John Thune, David Vitter, Barack Obama, Mark Pryor, and John E. Sununu) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Byrd

[IronLionZion]

77. Byrd's been in the Senate longer than 8 of his colleagues have been alive

so I think he's entitled to have changed his views along the way. Change is something we can believe in.

[trashcanistanista]

55. I was hoping he would.

This is a great day for democacy and for the Democrats. It doesn't get any better than this. Onwards to the inauguration!!!!!

Thank you Senator Byrd!

[nadinbrzezinski]

56. Sen Byrd, the dean of the Senate

the adults are taking over

[flpoljunkie]

57. Thank you, Senator Robert Byrd, for your true patriotism in standing up to fight against the IWR

[livetohike]

60. I remember sending him an e-mail message after the vote

and I received one of those form replies that said since I wasn't a resident of his state, I could not expect to hear from him. But that was okay. He did us proud that day :-).

[Thrill]

58. LOL Both WV Senators have endorsed Obama

[faithfulcitizen]

109. would have been nice a couple of weeks ago though.

[Undercurrent]

59. Thank you Senator Byrd!

Your endorsement couldn't be more moving to me. You have grown, and changed as a man in ways that affirm my long held belief that we can all change for the better, and I love you for it.

[Yael]

61. This is huge for Obama

Having a man who is deeply loved who also has a hard core racist past endorsing him will send shock waves through WV.

[babylonsister]

62. Whoa! This is HUGH!!1! Thank you, Senator Byrd! nt

[AspenRose]

64. I just sent him a thank you.

It's the least I could do.

[myrna minx]

66. Wow. I'll wager that the IWR was part of the decision.

Thank you Senator Byrd.

[Toucano]

67. Last week, trashed as a racist on DU

This week, praised has a healer and standard bearer.

Does DU have liability insurance because I think I just got whiplash?

[cali]

72. you're totally wrong. Byrd is an icon here. I've been attacked

repeatedly because I'm not a big Byrd admirer because of his racist past- and I've said so. I'm glad of the endorsement, but I still have a repugnance toward Byrd's past and his ugly words.

[Toucano]

75. I am not totally wrong.

Last Tuesday, during the WV primary, there were repeated posts declaring West Virginia a racist wasteland and holding up their senior senator as a prime example.



When he's pulling out his constitution and making great anti-Bush speeches on the floor, he's a darling.

Let him vote for or against an abortion funding amendment and he's back on the dark side.

When he votes for a "marriage protection" amendment, he's a homophobic bigot.

When he endorses Obama, he's a sage party elder.

DU doesn't really have icons. Everyone is subject to the "bluer than thou" purist filter at any given moment.

[Arkana]

88. Yeah guys because EVERY Obama supporter totally said this amirite?

There are nutjobs on both sides here--and they don't necessarily represent the mainstream viewpoint of the majority of supporters for their candidate.

[Toucano]

97. I said nothing about anyone's supporters

I am offering a critique of an evolving DU cultural phenomenon, thank you very much.

[Lautremont]

121. You're pointing out that on a place with over 120,000 registered members,

contradictory opinions may at times be voiced. Did you get a research grant for that?

[Lasher]

124. Actually it was a point well taken.

It wasn't just Byrd, but the entire state endured slurs because more of us voted for Hillary than we did for Obama. Here is a video hit piece, which typically showcases the dumbest and most bigoted people that could be found. The thread comments indicate it had its desired effect - getting some viewers to conclude that most, or even all 'these people' are 'bigoted trash'.

WV Senator Jay Rockefeller and Congressman Nick Rahall have also endorsed Obama.

Senator Byrd is sometimes difficult to understand. He believes conservatives make the best Supreme Court justices, for example. Most people don't know that he turned down an offer from President Nixon to nominate him as a justice. Byrd said at the time he felt he could best help West Virginians by continuing to serve as a Senator. And he was right.

Some in this thread have wondered why he didn't announce his endorsement earlier. As Senator Byrd said, he didn't want to interfere in the WV Primary. This was not a tactic on his part. His timing was guided by conviction.

This endorsement comes as no surprise to me at all. Byrd and Obama are friends. Two years ago when Byrd was running for reelection, Obama helped with some important early fundraising, which discouraged any serious challenge from the Republicans.

[L0oniX]

73. Yea I got trashed for speaking up for him a while back too ...we have some hypocrites here on DU.

I was really impressed with him when I saw his speech against the Iraq war vote.

[Mass]

86. The problem is that people want people black and white. I appreciate

Byrd for his IWR vote, but he is still pretty much wrong on many social issues. Where is the problem? He is no hero, but he is sometimes right.

[fight4my3sons]

68. excellent! n/t

[Carrieyazel]

69. I see those of you who trashed him last week are nowhere to be found.

Now he makes the endorsement, which I bet some of you thought he would not make.

[invictus]

70. Mega K & R!

[Hepburn]

74. Whoa....

...I would have thought that he would have gone for Hillary.

Nice to see that he came around and did it right.

[billyoc]

78. The Conscience of the Senate.

:woohoo:

[not_too_L8]

79. K&R

[VotesForWomen]

80. weren't O-ists here just bashing Byrd anr 'racist' west virginians just a few days ago??

[Barrymores Ghost]

85. How's that robo-calling working out for you guys?

:rofl:

[Ken Burch]

94. Nobody was bashing Byrd.

n/t.

[Mme. Defarge]

81. That is stupendous! nt

[Willo]

83. WTG Sen. Byrd! Right on time for the GE.

Once Clinton's noise recedes further into the background, some people will be better able to examine the realities around them and make meaningful decisions.

[Diane R]

84. We really need to start asking why (except very early on) her fellow Senators won't endorse her?

[madrchsod]

90. they know obama will listen to them

[cali]

95. well at this point it's obvious. they know she's lost.

I do know, for a certainty, that my Senator, Pat Leahy never considered endorsing her.

[mzmolly]

89. FABULOUS! This one gets me especially good.

I'm verklempt.

[Douglas Carpenter]

91. This is truly a great day for America when a former leading Segregationist and Racist endorses an

African-American for the Presidency of the United States!

"2007 - Senator Byrd supported the interests of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People 87 percent in 2007."

http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=53359&type=category&category=13&go.x=13&go.y=9

[Ken Burch]

93. I'm glad Byrd did this, but why didn't he do it BEFORE the primary?

It's not like he had anything to lose.

Nobody's gonna lay a glove on him in this election.

[1776Forever]

96. Sen. Byrd is awesome - if you have never seen his speeches against the war check it out!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yxWfawiufK0&feature=related

[Colobo]

98. The kind of news we all love! Gobama!

[wisteria]

99. Obama/Byrd!!! n/t

[Zomby Woof]

101. Along with Senator Kennedy...

Byrd is a giant among the Democratic senators. They are the twin lions guarding the gate. His impassioned speech against the build-up to the Iraq Debacle was one of the greatest moments in the history of CSPAN. We actually felt like the deliberative republic of old. For a few tantalizing moments.

For those who dismiss his redemption, think about how he has repeatedly and openly disavowed his past, compared to unrepentant racists like Trent Lott and Jesse Helms. But never mind his words, what about his actions? Again, he has the Republican racists shamed. Endorsing Senator Obama does indeed carry symbolic and redemptive heft.

Let those without sin cast their stones...

[Cha]

102. That is just so Sweet! I didn't even get it at first.

I thought..Good, Byrd is endorsing Obama. Not even thinking about the color of Obama's skin coming into play but this is just the best thing he could have done now!

[Divine Discontent]

107. "Noble-Hearted Patriot", "Humble Christian"

AMEN! Very nice sentiments from the esteemed elder statesman!


New Obama Items Weekly!
www.cafepress.com/warisprofitable

[santamargarita]

110. Does that mean the KKK endorse Obama too?

Strange...

[FrenchieCat]

112. Naw, that's not what it means.....and "most" people realize that.....

Even some of the most dense. :eyes:

[candice]

113. It was $88,615 of Movon.org money that did the trick!

Riverdaughter did the research:

Let’s take a look at where the Senator got a lot of his money from in the last election cycle:
:
Top Contributors to Robert C. Byrd (D) during the 2006 Election Cycle

Rank Donor Amount (US Dollars)
1 Moveon.org $ 88,615
2 West Virginia Paving $ 26,500
3 Mylan Laboratories $ 24,600
4 Cassidy & Assoc/Interpublic Group $ 22,188
5 Azimuth Inc $ 20,800

Source: The Center for Responsive Politics’ www.OpenSecrets.org site.

http://riverdaughter.wordpress.com/

MoveOn.org, one of Obama’s biggest money machines, is also responsible for donating over three times as much money to Byrd’s last campaign than the next closest donor. I wonder if that has anything to do with his willingness to shoot the bird at the VAST majority of his constituents. I mean Byrd is 90 years old, and his latest term doesn’t end for 4 years. I’m pretty sure he’s not too worried about his next election, but I’d bet he has a legacy candidate waiting in the wings who would love to be able to benefit from MoveOn’s generosity. Especially in an open election that for Republicans will be competitive for the first time in years.

Byrd also loves the pork, and he’s no friend to open and transparent government. HIllary, on the other hand, has strongly advocated openness during the campaign, most specifically in her 10 point plan for increasing transparency and reducing corruption in government:

Banning Cabinet officials from lobbying a Hillary Clinton administration.

Strengthening whistleblower protections.

Creating a public service academy.

Ending abuse of no-bid government contracts and posting all contracts online.

Cutting 500,000 government contractors.

Restoring the Office of Technology Assessment.

Publishing budgets for every government agency.

Implementing Results America Initiative to track government effectiveness.

Tracking and eliminating corporate welfare.

Expanding voting access and safeguarding voting machines.

[anonymous171]

117. lol Did you hear about the $1 million a Clinton donor offered to 2 SDs for a Clinton endorsement?

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

118. Hmmm, transparency - earmarks and PAC money

So you list less than $200K of PAC money given to Senator Byrd last cycle. I'm not sure how those numbers really compare to Hillary Clinton's more than $1,000,000 of PAC money - more than the other candidates combined.

And you manage to segway that into claiming "MoveOn.org, one of Obama’s biggest money machines.." I'd love to see your figures on that one, considering MoveOn was created for the express purpose of defending and deflecting criticism from Bill and Hillary Clinton during the impeachment era.

But Hillary on Transparency. That one is a laugh. Where are her 2007 Tax Returns? The ones where we can see how much they got from Colombia last year. And promising future posting of government contracts online is somewhat like promising tax returns on or about April 15th. Future promises are sweet, but what about now? Did I miss her posting of her NY earmarks? Somehow, she was the only candidate unable to fulfill this simple transparency request.

[JI7]

115. Robert Byrd at 91 is in way better shape than McCain

not just McCain but many of the others who are even in their 60s and younger.

he has never had "senile moments".

[LaStrega]

116. EMPHATIC K&R w00t! n/t

[Secret_Society]

120. If he endorsed HRC...

the vitriol against the Senator and his past would be incredible on DU.

[ruby slippers]

122. there is a God....and she "forgives" people like Byrd when they reconcile

[ClayZ]

123. It just keeps getting better!

K and R

I have been so used to wrong, "right" feels peculiar!