Robert Byrd - RIP

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/us/politics/29byrd.html

rip.

First man I ever heard say "calumny" on television.

RIP.

I'll leave it at that.

What I suspected:

In the Senate, he was the Democratic leader from 1977 to 1989, though at the same time something of a loner. He was not particularly well liked, and some senators feared him as a threat to their own spending projects. But he was deeply respected as a voice of the institution.

Not a particularly savory thing, to be honored as an Eminence and expert purveyor of pork.

not only that, but he was damn proud of it.

There's something about having your name up on dozens of public building--while you are living, especially, that's kind of sickening.

As a general rule, I'm not a fan of term limits, but there is something totally wrong about a politician serving 50 years in the Senate.

Maybe I'm ignorant of West Virginia. But besides the ego-pumping and power-brokering that Byrd's pork brought about, I suppose he could've justified all of it (to himself and the public) as pumping up the WV economy. He was an old-school ward heeler at heart, a fossil in the 21st century.

Whatever. RIP

pumping up the WV economy at the expense of some other state's economy - pork is a zero sum game

I suppose he could've justified all of it (to himself and the public) as pumping up the WV economy.

It's one of those irregular verbs--"I am making sound societal investments; you are looking out for the boys back home; he's shipping home the pork wholesale."

Sully:

Speak no ill of the dead? Well, let me simply say that the racist, populist, larcenous bigot of a Senator - a man who robbed the American tax-payer to pave his state with baubles and bribes - is not going to be much mourned in these parts.

He tried to justify his pork spending on many occasions and was indignant when his motives were challenged.

Not really sure how people ever came to forgive his Klansmanship or his filibuster of 1964.

pumping up the WV economy at the expense of some other state's economy - pork is a zero sum game

― iatee, Monday, June 28, 2010 8:03 AM (1 hour ago) Bookmark

i don't know if this is necessarily true, given the differences in living standards and economic activity. some places in WV were more like ghana... or still are, for all i know. like, NY and CA wouldn't miss a few million here or there (normally), and WV could use it.

but this isn't about byrd as a man or an appropriator, it's about routing all spending through the stupidest institution ever invented.

Not really sure how people ever came to forgive his Klansmanship or his filibuster of 1964.

has anyone? Luckily I'm at work and don't watch cable news, but the obits this morning from Leahy and Sessions both adeptly avoided calling Byrd a "great legislator" or some such nonsense. Both admired his erudition and adoration of the Senate, period.

pumping up the WV economy at the expense of some other state's economy - pork is a zero sum game

― iatee, Monday, June 28, 2010 9:03 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Agreed. Also the Klan thing. He can go wherever Strom Thurmond currently resides, hopefully they can share an air conditioner.

he delivered some killer speeches against the war, I'll say that for him.

yeah, there isn't any way to defend klansmanship. it's indefensible. my ideal way to stop being a klansman would be "die in a fire". failing that, "eventually oppose iraq war" isn't all bad, for a klansman-senator.

i don't know if this is necessarily true, given the differences in living standards and economic activity. some places in WV were more like ghana... or still are, for all i know. like, NY and CA wouldn't miss a few million here or there (normally), and WV could use it.

no I mean I agree that it's not necessarily a bad thing to send money to poor regions and WV is a good example - but byrd wasn't bringing home pork because he represented a poor region, he was bringing home pork because he was in a position of influence. maybe it wasn't 'bad' but it's hard to find it noble.

(another thought: although they're not 'poor states', I'd bet the total # of destitute people in california or new york is >>>> WV)

also ghana is a obv a horrible example because I am for cutting 100% of foreign aid to ghana.

don't hate the player, hate the game

wait are you talking about robert byrd or soccer

RIP dude who represented almost everything wrong with the senate and by extension the US government

i can honestly not get angry in the slightest about "pork". so, you've divided the country up into discrete geographical units, and the people who spend tax money have to get elected by people in them? gee, how do you think that money is going to get spent? like duh. pork is baked into the cake. that's our constitution, a literal cake made of pork.

i can honestly not get angry in the slightest about "pork".

neat xref to the 'PC gone Mad' thread tbh

pork cake

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.slashfood.com/media/2008/04/porkpiecake041108.jpg

RIP

I must say I greatly appreciated his stand against the Iraq war, so I will avoid enumerating the many ways he sucked at other times. RIP.

"Speak no ill of the dead? Well, let me simply say that the racist, populist, larcenous bigot of a Senator - a man who robbed the American tax-payer to pave his state with baubles and bribes - is not going to be much mourned in these parts."

racist, populist, larcenous

One of these things is not like the others.

RIP dude who represented almost everything wrong with the senate and by extension the US government

so now Chuck Schumer is at least tied for first?

i think theyre all tied for first

lucky us

Al Franken's been pretty great.

Pushing daisies now, man that Byrd was old fucker.