After going into the hospital yesterday, Senator Robert Byrd died last night.
The longest serving member of Congress, and polarizing figure, brought much to the state of WV.

While I was not a fan, RIP Senator Byrd. Amazing that he lived this long as was still sharp up till the end.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/28/AR2010062801241.html?hpid=topnews

ptown_trojans_1;403690 wrote:After going into the hospital yesterday, Senator Robert Byrd died last night.
The longest serving member of Congress, and polarizing figure, brought much to the state of WV.

While I was not a fan, RIP Senator Byrd. Amazing that he lived this long as was still sharp up till the end.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/28/AR2010062801241.html?hpid=topnews

Indeed.

Even though there's lots I could say, I'm not going to bash him in this thread.

92 is a helluva good run. RIP Bob.

He had been a senator since 1959. Holy shit.

Not the time to trash, so not going to say anything other than RIP.

No sad feelings here...but RIP

Like others on here who disagreed with how the good Senator conducted business, now is not the time to go into that. May he rest in peace, and I pray his family finds comfort during this time of loss.

I hope they bury him in West Virginia. Shorter drive to spit on his grave.

He represented the people of the Mountaineer state for over half a century. So, he obviously was doing something right.

He will be missed, RIP Byrd. At least now high schools and roads named after him in WV make a little bit more sense now.

Sykotyk

I hate the WV TurnPike.......... I fill up in Ohio and drive through WV never with the intention of stopping ever.......

I wonder if the KKK will hold a separate ceremony for him?

ccrunner609;408959 wrote:Obama speaking at his funeral right now.......Oh the irony.

Robert Byrd was a blatant racist and was on the wrong side of history big time. You hear all the time that "he canged and regrets what he did"....... no he didnt, he changed to keep his political standing.

If the civil rights movement didnt happen, he would still be the narrow minded racist he was for the first 50 years of his life

Exactly. There are no republican former Klan members in congress, but when you're a democrat, it's different ---- free pass.

ccrunner609;408959 wrote:Obama speaking at his funeral right now.......Oh the irony.

Robert Byrd was a blatant racist and was on the wrong side of history big time. You hear all the time that "he canged and regrets what he did"....... no he didnt, he changed to keep his political standing.

If the civil rights movement didnt happen, he would still be the narrow minded racist he was for the first 50 years of his life

If the civil rights movement didn't happen, many other people would still have the same view. Of course people changed their view with time, it is what humans do. Do you still have the same views you had when you were 20 years old? I don't.

He was a KKK member, yes. But, he regretted it and publicly apologized for it. He then tried to make up for the wronging after that. I don;t hold that he was a KKK member against him one bit, since he did change with the time, like many people do, and then embraced civil rights later. Did he do it to get elected, I'm sure that played into his calculations, like many others. But, I don't fault him for it.

I don't like he stayed in the Senate for so long and gave so many pork projects to his state. The KKK stuff is irrelevant and in the long past.

It is ironic many on the left give Byrd a pass for his years in the Klan (in a leadership role nonetheless), yet get all ticked off when some white person says something that is construed as being insensitive and branded a racist who deserves no remorse (Imus, Jimmy The Greek, Trent Lott, Mel Gibson, Governor Allen in Virginia, the cop in Massachusetts who dared to arrest that professor on his porch).

Little Danny;408994 wrote:It is ironic many on the left give Byrd a pass for his years in the Klan (in a leadership role nonetheless), yet get all ticked off when some white person says something that is construed as being insensitive and branded a racist who deserves no remorse (Imus, Jimmy The Greek, Trent Lott, Mel Gibson, Governor Allen in Virginia, the cop in Massachusetts who dared to arrest that professor on his porch).

Little Danny it's cool Eric Holder was a no show ..... pre-scheduled event Black Panther Cookout and AG Legal Seminar on “I Got Your Back”

ptown_trojans_1;408990 wrote:The KKK stuff is irrelevant and in the long past.

Had Byrd been a Republican he would NEVER have served in the Senate all these years and the press would now be pumping out documentary after documentary on his KKK involvement. But as usual since Byrd was a pork spending leftist Dem he gets accolades for his Senate longevity and a free pass on the KKK issue.

It may be long past but it's not irrelevant.

I don't think anyone who believes in equality for all people gives Senator Byrd a "free pass" for his Klan associations, but I thinK we have to remember where this man was born and the culture he grew up in. We do, in many instances, what our parents tell us. It doesn't matter whether we are Republicans, Democrats, Socialists, Communists, or whatever else we may be. We also do whatever is necessary to get elected. If it means to low key our attitudes about race, then we low key our attitudes. Believe it or not, there are folks alive right now who really don't believe in equality but say they do because now, unlike in the 1930's and 40's, it is PC to do so. The truth comes out around the dinner table, driving through areas that are populated by a high percentage of minority citizens, and when your child brings home a member of a minority group and announces that there will be a wedding soon. It is also informational if your son or daughter comes "out of the closet".
Robert Byrd did a tremendous amount for the people who supported him. Many, many jobs were brought to WV due to his tireless efforts in the Senate.I, like several others on here, will readily admit that I was not a fan of his politically, but he did the job for the citizens of his State and I guess that's what it's all about. RIP Senator Byrd.

Swamp Fox;410191 wrote:Robert Byrd did a tremendous amount for the people who supported him. Many, many jobs were brought to WV due to his tireless efforts in the Senate.I, like several others on here, will readily admit that I was not a fan of his politically, but he did the job for the citizens of his State and I guess that's what it's all about. RIP Senator Byrd.

Byrd was the king of earmarks and porkulus spending. There isn't a school, highway, bridge, or post office in WV that doesn't have his name engraved on it. If that's what you mean by "tireless efforts" then I'm forced to agree with you.

believer;409335 wrote:Had Byrd been a Republican he would NEVER have served in the Senate all these years and the press would now be pumping out documentary after documentary on his KKK involvement. But as usual since Byrd was a pork spending leftist Dem he gets accolades for his Senate longevity and a free pass on the KKK issue.

It may be long past but it's not irrelevant.

Not true. Byrd did a 180 on his klan activities in or around 1950. He sung his mea culpas loud and clear. If what you say is true, then Strom Thurmond would have been shitcanned 50 years ago. There you again with the mythical left wing bias thingy again.

Did he do another 180 in 1964?

I knew this thread would class itself up over time.

I really have no opinion either way, but knew our OhioChatter mental giants would turn it into a classy shitstorm.

^^^Speaking of classy shit storm....

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