Sen. Byrd votes FOR Amendment to add discrimination to CONSTITUTION

http://byrd.senate.gov/constitution_day.html

"Study the Constitution because it is both the foundation and the guardian of our liberties." - Robert C. Byrd

The man has it right on Iraq but is wrong as can be about this.

I mean, technically, if he says instead, "The constitution is the ONLY place something like this can be legitimately done," well, uh, the same could be said for Prohibition. IMHO.

He is consistently close-minded and anti-progressive on social issues.

He talks a great game, but he really can't extrapolate that into practical terms when it comes to individual rights and liberty.

.....just maybe the people of his state truly want this. Just because DU doesn't want such an amendment is no sign the rest of the country agrees. I truly don't know what the people of WV think/believe politically but there's a possibility most agree with and even asked him to vote yes.

Personally I think the whole stupid thing should be dropped in favor of health care for all, in favor of bringing our Military home, in favor of repealing the tax cut for the richest of the rich, and on and on I could go.

a bit disingenuous to be pounding the podium in rhetorical fervor over liberty, et al, when you actually vote for discrimination and renunciation of individual liberty. (I'm not saying this particular vote is indicative of that.)

It makes him look like a hypocrite and debases his credibility in those dramatic speeches of his.


And yes, it is a total waste of the People's time and money.

Even though it speaks terrible volumes about my state, I do believe the general electorate here in WV would be for this discrimination. And Byrd knows, whether or not he really wants this dog to go through Congress, that by making these motions of support his is appeasing his base of church-going, traditional values West Virginians that view faith and marriage as unassailable tenants of not only the state, but of God. Not a day goes by here that I don't hear someone throwing around negative epithets about homosexuality and the tenets of traditional sexual attraction and practices.

The fact remains that WV is still a largely rural state with good numbers of the population receiving their only social contact through TV, churches and faith-based events. There is a situation here very much akin to the 19th century in that, in certain portions of the state, folks are still cut-off from the larger world, culturally. These are the "hollers" that folks like to link with WV, and they do certainly exist. And while a bunch of these folks may still be able to see American Idol, they are not given access to more progressive or humanistic causes because its not talked about on the TV at large, and definitely not discussed in church or the PTA.

But there is a groundswell of progressive thought developing here in some of the larger towns of WV. Later on tonight, I'll be attending a "West Virginia for Democracy" meeting here in my town. I am anxious to see the turnout, and to hear what folks who have the message and do take the time to get motivated, have to say about Sen. Byrd and all these issues.

There are folks here who are trying. There are folks here who agree with the Constitutional sanctity that Byrd stands for, but not this particular issue. There are folks here who want to return WV to the blue state that it once was.

....happens at the "West Virginia for Democracy" meeting there in your town. In fact if you wouldn't mind put in the subject line "West Virginia for Democracy last night" and then we'll know it's from you. I'd be very interested in hearing all about the meeting so we can possibly get a feel on how to reach mostly "red states". Let's face it, we either take the arguments to the people - their way - or we loose in November and in 08. I, for one, am darn tired of loosing. So I'll definitely look forward to your:patriot: report. :bounce:

was he representing his constituency when he vote yea on the Bankruptcy Bill? IWR?

During the filibuster for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Byrd was the only non-southern Democrat to vote against cloture.

It needs 67 votes, not 50.

I don't ever understand what people on here keep getting upset that an 80-something year old Southerner is behaving like an 80-something year old Southerner.

That must mean something here...?

It's troubling to me at least. He may be old. He may be a widower. He may be a patriot on Iraq.

But I can't make excuses for even a cloture vote on such an amendment to our Constitution.

pocket and it would have gone down in defeat.

He voted for cloture knowing that the amendment would be defeated.

He is also zealous of the Senate's rights and is one of the main proponents of extended debate. His debate head to head with John Warner were as great as any ever heard in the Senate. He is devastated by the loss of his wife. He is now walking with a cane. He may not have the stamina he once had for debating himself. At the same time, he is very, very tired and I doubt he would actually vote to amend the Constitution itself. At the same time, he may not give a crap about gays, single or married. I think he tries to imagine they do not exist.

He is an old school social conservative Democrat.

This is the same guy who several years ago said that WV didn't have any gay people, in discussions about an AIDS resource center.

voted for it too. The Pukes who voted against it were:

McCain
Gregg
Chafee
Specter
Collins
Snow
Sununu

racist. Former KKK member. Hell there are pictures of him, as and older man dressed in his KKK robes...

Fuck him. I don't care what anyone says, this man is a wolf in now sheep's clothing. When the BIG votes come up, he fails us everytime. He needs to go the way of Joe Lieberman...

The guy voted AGAINST the civil rights act, for crying out loud...