Hiram Lewis to Challenge Sen. Robert Byrd

[Rose Siding]

CHARLESTON, W.Va. Apr 9, 2005 — State Republican Party Treasurer Hiram Lewis IV announced Saturday he planned to seek his party's nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd in 2006.

Lewis, an Army National Guard captain who served in Iraq, picked the second anniversary of the fall of Baghdad to announce his plans. The Morgantown lawyer made his announcement near the base of a statue of West Virginia's senior Democratic senator at the state Capitol in Charleston.

"My candidacy is not a personal vendetta against the senior senator; rather it is simply time for a change," said Lewis, who lost the GOP nomination to challenge Democrat Sen. Jay Rockefeller in 2002. Lewis came close to upsetting Democrat Attorney General Darrell McGraw in November.
.....
Lewis, 34, said he is not running "against" Byrd, but "with" him.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=656640&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312


Republican Hiram Lewis announces his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., while standing in front of a statue of Sen. Byrd that declares Byrd as the "West Virginian of the Century" at the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston, W.Va., Saturday, April 9, 2005. (AP Photo/Bob Bird)

[despairing optimist]

1. At least he's honest. He admits he's small change.

[Skink]

2. W wouldn't want any Senators carrying around the constitution..

Yep time for na change.

[bluestateguy]

3. Maybe he'll do better than previous Byrd opponents

That is to say, maybe he'll carry one or two counties.

[saltpoint]

4. I don't know West Virginia politics so well, but I hope Byrd --

-- kicks his ass.

[President Kerry]

5. He doesn't stand a chance..

but it's a breath of fresh air that he seems a decent Repub, at least in the way he expresses himself, something quite rare these days..

[Indykatie]

6. Learned From DU

about the MoveOn campaign to raise funds for Sen. Byrd and was happy to send donation. I saw that the effort that included Sen Obama raised over $800,000 for Byrd.

[pokercat999]

8. My candidacy is not a personal vendetta

"My candidacy is not a personal vendetta against the senior senator; rather it is simply time for a change"

My guess is his real agenda is to gain personal power and wealth, however....................

One thing I can agree with. Byrd has provided some good service to the people of WV and the Democratic Party, but the time for him to step down has passed many years ago.

It's time to return the House and Senate to a "Citizen" congress, one term and then home.....never to serve in National public office again. With over 300,000,000 people in the US we have ample supply for good citizens to fill these 535 slots in the congress and anybody would be better than * and his puppet master FU Cheney.

[Algorem]

7. "A debate for the ages.... "

http://modernamerica.blogspot.com/2005/01/debate-for-ages.html

"I found that I had plenty of material that I felt should be tapped and used on Modern America. Recently I have been engaged in a debate with Hiram Lewis. For those of you that don't know Hiram Lewis is the Treasurer for the Republican Party in the State of West Virginia. Initially I sparked the debate by asking him how is grandfather feels about him being a Republican, and again for those of you that are lost, Kit Lewis (Hiram's grandfather) is and was a promient Democrats in McDowell County West Virginia. Thus begins a long debate via email that we engaged in. I will seperate the emails by line and you will know who is who by the tone of the argument and the ending names.


Mr. Lewis what does your grandfather think of your efforts to make a name
for yourself within the Republican Party? I would imagine that he would be
disappointed.

- Brandon Brewster President MCYD..."

[DeaconBlues]

9. typical repub ploy

The candidate plays Mr. Nice Guy, while organizations that can't be directly linked to the party will do all the smearing (a la Swiftboat Veterans).