U.S. Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) dead at 92

• Locked due to inactivity on Aug 4, '16 4:13pm

Thread Topic: U.S. Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) dead at 92

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  Demonjoe Novice

  12 years ago
  Yesterday when I was opening up my Email I wasn't expecting a Politico breaking news Email stating that Senator Robert Byrd is dead. For those of you who don't live in the U.S., this guy was longest serving Senator in U.S. history. He had been serving since 1959, which is more than 50 years. He was known as one of the conservative Democrats, well socially at least. He had been called by Republicans the "King of Pork" because he had passed through Congress many pet projects for his state of West Virginia. He was also the only Senator in there to be a former KKK member.
  
  I never liked Robert Byrd very much but I'm not happy to hear that he'd dead.
  Rest in peace Robert Byrd.
• tongue Newbie

  12 years ago
  Byrd's death feels wrong because he was a true statesman and his death comes at a time where partisanship has crippled our political process. And while he was at one time very opposed to civil rights- he famously attempted to filibuster the Civil Rights Act of 1964- he had long recanted those beliefs and called his past stances on civil rights regretful. The memory of Byrd that is strongest for me is from the Sotomayor confirmation, when he made it to the vote in a wheelchair to vote in favor of Sotomayor's confirmation. That was a moment that showed Byrd's racist past was long behind him.
• Peter Principle Novice

  12 years ago
  I liked when he had spoken out against the Iraq war even though it seemed like a foregone conclusion. He ended up being right in many ways, in what he said in that speech.
• tongue Newbie

  12 years ago
  I agree. Byrd was one of the only people to vote against the war in Iraq, and I'm pretty sure he was the only Senator.

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