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| Sen. Robert C. Byrd Laments KKK Connection |
| 2005-06-20 |
| EFL:Seemed lahk a good idea at the time... MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Sen. Robert C. Byrd's new memoir reveals both his encyclopedic knowledge of political history and the unlikely inspiration that helped launch his own political career: A Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan. Think if a Republican ever said this that there might be a... bit of a stink? It was a Klan leader who motivated the young Byrd during his short-lived tenure in the racist organization — something he writes was "an extraordinarily foolish mistake" that has haunted him for 40 years."It has emerged throughout my life to haunt and embarrass me, and has taught me in a very graphic way what one major mistake can do to one's life, career and reputation," the West Virginia Democrat says in an autobiography being released Monday. "I displayed very bad judgment, due to immaturity and a lack of seasoned reasoning." It's a mistake he has paid for time and again, the only significant scandal ever attached to a man who grew up in Wolf Creek Hollow and who next June stands to become the longest-serving senator in U.S. history. He's been a senator for a thousand years. How much did it hurt him? Even now, with the 2006 election more than 18 months away, Republicans are using it in their campaign to oust him. Byrd has not declared whether he will run again, and his book gives no hints."Robert C. Byrd: Child of the Appalachian Coalfields" chronicles his 87 years, from boyhood to his re-election in 2000.But at 770 pages, the $35 paperback from West Virginia University Press is more weighty tome than light reading. Looks like the West Virginia University Press will do VERY WELL when this year's pork is doled out... It portrays a man who is religious, socially conservative, respectful and respected — a man for whom a promise is an unbreakable bond. But it is more the chronology of a career than the story of a man, dispassionately detailing virtually every federal dollar brought to West Virginia. ...and it's only 770 pages? According to Citizens Against Government Waste, he's helped secure $1.6 billion for the state just since 1999. But any reader expecting an apology will be disappointed. Byrd is proud of supporting a state that suffered more than most through economic recessions — long exploited for its natural resources and slower than most to attain prosperity. "The Washington critics of 'pork' had a full-time job in trying to keep up with me," he writes. Look soon for The Robert C. Byrd Center for Frog Shit Research in Morgantown. The book reflects Byrd's appreciation for political history, but the private man remains private, revealing little of his heart. One exception lies in his explanation of the folly with the Klan. As a boy, he watched a parade of white hoods in Matoaka, learning years later his father had been among them. Back then "many of the 'best' people were members," he says, and Byrd was vulnerable to the anti-Communism rhetoric.He recruited 150 members, and when Grand Dragon Joel L. Baskin came to a meeting in Crab Orchard, Byrd was unanimously elected Exalted Cyclops. The Exalted Cyclops! And here we were demeaning him with that Kleagle title. "You have a talent for leadership, Bob," Baskin told him. "The country needs young men like you in the leadership of the nation." "Suddenly lights flashed in my mind!" Byrd writes. "Someone important had recognized my abilities. I was only 23 or 24, and the thought of a political career had never struck me. But strike me that night, it did. "It was the appealing challenge I had been looking for. Wolf Creek Hollow seemed very near and Washington very far away, with the road in between all uphill," he says. "But I was suddenly eager to climb the mountain." ...and the rest is history! Another reason to despise the Klan. He belonged to the Klan for a year, then moved in 1943 to Baltimore to help build ships. Byrd says he never resented blacks, Catholics or Jews, but he failed to "examine the full meaning and impact of the ugly prejudice behind the positive, pro-American veneer. My only explanation for the entire episode is that I was sorely afflicted with tunnel vision — a jejune and immature outlook — seeing only what I wanted to see because I thought the Klan could provide an outlet for my talents and ambitions." ...and since Ah'm a Democrat, Ah get a swell free pass! |
| Posted by:Beaucoup: King of the Ukuku |
| #8 at least there will be full employment in W. VA for a century, chiselling the old f*&kers' name off gov't buildings, bridges, monuments, and schools |
| Posted by: Frank G 2005-06-20 19:34 |
| #7 What Byrd "laments" is it's no longer fashionable to be a racist bigot. And the MSM can't cover for him any longer. How do you spell the illustrious senator's name? "Worthless POS" |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2005-06-20 17:21 |
| #6 Hear, Hear RC! |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-06-20 14:44 |
| #5 In other news, the people of West Virginia lament their connection to Robert C. Byrd. |
| Posted by: Mike 2005-06-20 14:12 |
| #4 He began his political career in a bigoted, anti-American organization and he'll end his career in a bigoted, anti-American organization. He's been a Democrat for life. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2005-06-20 13:55 |
| #3 yeah, west virginia is known for a center of culture and enterprise. Why, what other state can claim as many doublewide trailers as the state of west virginia. If I were a citizen of West Virginia, I think that by now I'd be asking of the old Byrd...show ME the money, Senator. |
| Posted by: 2b 2005-06-20 13:07 |
| #2 He recruited 150 members, and when Grand Dragon Joel L. Baskin came to a meeting in Crab Orchard, Byrd was unanimously elected Exalted Cyclops. In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed is king. Guess the |
| Posted by: BH 2005-06-20 11:57 |
| #1 Oh, you feel bad now Senator blowhard? Take the advice of many - just phuking resign and shut the heck up, hypocritical idiot. No need for you to gain experience and "seasoning" on the taxpayer's dime is there?! |
| Posted by: ByrdBrainDroppins 2005-06-20 11:48 |