Byrd speaks about opposition to war at Democratic dinner

[bufffbison]

http://www.herald-mail.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=123259&format=html

Byrd speaks about opposition to war at Democratic dinner

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Of the more than 17,000 votes U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., has cast in his record eight terms in office, his vote against shifting powers to declare war was "the best vote I ever made," he told an audience Friday night.


Byrd talked politics to the more than 150 people gathered Friday in the ballroom of the Holiday Inn at a mini-Jefferson-Jackson dinner sponsored by the Berkeley County Democratic Executive Committee.


There were two reasons why Byrd said he voted against shifting the power to declare war from Congress to the president: The U.S. Constitution and a speech made by Karl Rove, who said the war on terrorism was a political strategy.


Byrd said 23 senators, including himself, voted against it. The others "were afraid they'd be called unpatriotic, so they voted to shift that power," he said.


Byrd began his speech by talking about his wife, Erma, who he said is struggling with several health problems, including Alzheimer's disease. He told members of the audience that she would have wanted to be there with them.


Byrd also talked about Social Security, Medicaid and No Child Left Behind and the problems he said have been created with those programs by the Bush administration.


Shaking a little booklet, Byrd frequently returned to the importance of the Constitution
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"There will be 2,000 empty chairs at over 2,000 kitchens this year for Thanksgiving. And for what?" Byrd said. "For what?" he shouted angrily. "We were misled," he retorted in a soft voice.



That brings tears to my eyes!!! :cry:

[babylonsister]

1. I hope CSPAN airs Byrd's speech; he always brings me

to tears. And I didn't know his wife has Alzheimer's. How very sad!

[terip64]

2. He is a hero! We have to be thankful for what we do have!

And we have to get a democrat in the White House.

[Smarmie Doofus]

3. And over 100,000 missing from Ramadan. Lest we forget...

...Muslims are people too.

Congratulations to Byrd and the other 22 'no's who have upheld the honor of the DEM party.

The 23 "ayes" still have a lot of 'splainin' to do.

[goddess40]

4. Byrd is an American treasure

There will be many empty chairs this holiday season- our dead, Iraqis dead, those severely injured on both sides and those still fighting for the lies the bush administration told and continue to tell.
I can't imagine the grief that will gripe the people that came back injured when the truth that they suffered their losses because of greed and power. Yes, most of them served honorably but what they were doing their wasn't.

[Hubert Flottz]

5. It is VERY sad.

Robert Byrd is a decent man, after all those years in the cesspool called Washington. The people in his party in DC should listen to him sometime.