One reason so many senators crave the presidency By Michael M. Bates Serving as a recruiter for the Ku Klux Klan may not strike you as a good career move. Yet it worked out fine for Senator Robert Byrd. In the early 1940s, the West Virginia Democrat did so well bringing in KKK members at $10 each ($3 extra for the robe and hood) that he quickly moved into management of the virulently anti-black, anti-Catholic, anti-Jewish organization. He was chosen to be the Exalted Cyclops, the chapter leader. A Grand Dragon suggested Byrd try politics. He did, and served for years in the state legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1958, he was elected to the Senate and has been there ever since. Fellow Democrats revere him. So popular is he that in 1971 he defeated the sainted Teddy Kennedy for a Democratic leadership post. Not bad for a former Kleagle who after World War II voiced his disgust with military racial integration. Rather than fighting with blacks, he'd prefer to "die a thousand times, and see old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels." Using the n-word on national TV, as he did twice in 2001, hasn't hurt Byrd's standing. In 2005, the new senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, sent out a letter praising Byrd and asking for donations to help his re-election. Last year, Obama journeyed to West Virginia to raise $2,500 from each attendee at a Byrd fundraiser. Hailing him for his anti-Iraq war stance, Time Magazine deemed him an "overnight Internet sensation" in a piece titled "Lionized in Winter." The truth, that Byrd is little more than a pompous windbag, was evident on C-SPAN recently. The West Virginian wanted to speechify and wasn't going to be dissuaded because of more pressing matters. Several minutes were spent on an extended exchange by Senators Byrd, Warner, Lott, Durbin, Pryor and Schumer on who was going to speak, for how long, and in what order. A small part of the discussion, as it appeared in the Congressional Record:
Senator Byrd got his time of course. He spoke about mine safety. A portion of his speech, again from the Congressional Record:
George Washington told Thomas Jefferson that the Senate would serve as a "cooling saucer" where hotly contentious matters could be discussed calmly and coolly. Thoughtful deliberation has been replaced with the hot air of supposed leaders like Robert Byrd who waste everyone's time with folksy anecdotes and enthralling revelations such as who sang "I'm a Coal Miner's Daughter." Given that environment, it's understandable that Senators Biden, Brownback, Clinton, Dodd and McCain are seeking the friendly confines of the White House. I'm surprised 99 senators aren't running for president. It's one way of graciously escaping the charms of the Exalted Cyclops. Mr. Obama calls Byrd a "dear friend" and credits him with having "one of the most astute minds" in the Senate. Sadly, that may be true. This Michael Bates column appeared in the February 15, 2007 Reporter Newspapers.
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