Who’s who in the new majority?
Robert C. Byrd, President Pro Temp
Harry Reid, Majority Leader
Dick Durbin, Assistant Majority Leader
Barbara Boxer, Chief Deputy Whip
Thomas R. Carper, Deputy Whip
Bill Nelson, Deputy Whip
Russell D. Feingold, Deputy Whip
Charles E. Schumer, Vice Chair of the Conference
Patty Murray, Secretary of the Conference
Charles E. Schumer, Chairman of Campaign Committee
Byron L. Dorgan, Chairman of Policy Committee
Debbie Stabenow, Chair of Steering and Outreach Committee
Jeff Bingaman, Chairman of Committee Outreach
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Vice Chair of Committee Outreach
Blanche L. Lincoln, Chair of Rural Outreach
Now that’s a Fantastic Four of superheroes.
I just hope they act like they have a mandate and come out of the gate strong.
OMG! TEH LIBRULS WON! TERRORISTS ARE GONNA FORCE ME TO MARRY A GAY PERSON AND PRAY TO MECCA AND MICHAEL J. FOX IS GOING TO EAT MY CHILDREN FOR THEIR STEM CELLS!
I still remember the ‘04 Republican convention when everyone started shouting, “Four more beers! Four more beers!”
That is what they were saying, right?
All those senators get “leadership” positions?
Why am I suddenly reminded of the NHL playoffs?
Is that guy next to Reid, Abramoff?
I thought it was the new cast of Law & Order: Special Prosecutor’s Unit
Unfortunately, there’s chance Sen Reid may be a little too busy in the coming months to devote himself fully to any investigation of Republican wrongdoing:
“a source close to the investigation surrounding his activities told ABC News that Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was one of the members of Congress Abramoff had allegedly implicated in his cooperation with federal prosecutors.
A source close to the investigation says Abramoff told prosecutors that more than $30,000 in campaign contributions to Reid from Abramoff’s clients “were no accident and were in fact requested by Reid.”
Abramoff has reportedly claimed the Nevada senator agreed to help him on matters related to Indian gambling.
The Associated Press reported earlier this year that Reid wrote at least four letters helpful to the tribes that had contributed money to his campaign.
Reid has denied there was any connection between the letters and the contributions and has said he is a longtime opponent of certain kinds of Indian reservation gambling.
The AP reported that Reid acknowledged “routine contacts” with Abramoff’s lobbying partners and intervening to block rival tribal casinos.
The AP also reported that Abramoff’s billing records showed extensive contact with Reid’s office over a three-year period in which Reid collected more than $68,000 from Abramoff’s firm, partners and clients.
Sources close to the federal investigation say Abramoff has offered testimony about his contacts with “six to eight seriously corrupt Democratic senators” and an ever larger number of Republican members of Congress.”
As they say, still developing…
I say that ANY of the members still in office that the feds are able to corroborate Abramoff’s testimony on should get the boot and face prosecution. Any already out (or on their way out) of office should still get prosecution.
Maybe Abramoff clients can give the money to Jefferson. Jefferson can give it to Murtha and Murtha can give it to Reid. That way Reid will be clean.
Definition of irony: Oliver castigating Republicans for re-electing “racist” Trent Lott for Senate Minority Leader, while fawning over the Democrats for re-electing a former KKK member to be President Pro Temp.
Irony? That sounds more like hypocrisy to me.
Sigh.
Byrd recanted. Trent “all Iraqis look the same to me” Lott still thinks he was right. End of story.
Byrd and Lott. Let’s take a look at these two gentlemen, shall we?
Associations & Actions:
As a young man, Robert Byrd was a member of the Ku Klux Klan from 1942-43, holding the positions of “Kleagle” (Klan recruiter) and “Exalted Cyclops” (?). Byrd also joined with other Southern and border state Democrats to filibuster the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
As a Congressman, Trent Lott voted against renewal of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Lott also maintained an affiliation with the Council of Conservative Citizens, which is described as a hate group by the NAACP and Southern Poverty Law Center.
Controversal Statements:
In 2001, during a Fox News broadcast, Robert Byrd said the following about race relations:
“There are white niggers. I’ve seen a lot of white niggers in my time. I’m going to use that word. We just need to work together to make our country a better country, and I’d just as soon quit talking about it so much.”
In a statement released by his office and read on Fox, Byrd expressed regret for the words: “I apologize for the characterization I used on this program,” he said. “The phrase dates back to my boyhood and has no place in today’s society.
Byrd did not step down as president pro tem.
In 2002, at Strom Thurmond’s 500th birthday party, Trent Lott was quoted as saying:
“I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We’re proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn’t have had all these problems over all these years, either.”
Lott initially tried to explain the remark as an off-the-cuff remark supporting Thurmond’s national defense platform, eventually explicitly repudiated his past and provided assertions of support for affirmative action in a BET (Black Entertainment Television) interview, where he said: “Segregation is a stain on our nation’s soul… Segregation and racism are immoral.”
Regardless, under pressure from Senate colleagues, and having lost the support of the White House, Lott resigned his Senate leadership position in Dec 2002.
Looking at these two, I see more similarities than differences. Both men have either been part of or have associated with hate groups. Both men have blocked important and needed legislation. Both men have repeatedly and publically repudiated their past associations and actions. Both men made statements taken as racist. Both men tried to explain their remarks as not being racist in origin. The only difference I can see is that Lott resigned his leadership position after his controversal comments, while Byrd did not.
If you want to point to one of these guys as evidence of the other party’s racism, go right ahead, but you better be prepared to accept that the guy on your side has an equally checkered history. If one guy has redeemed himself, then so has the other. Trying to say otherwise just makes you a hypocrite.
Personally, I wouldn’t want either one of them at my house for dinner, but I also wouldn’t criticize someone else for having them over.
I think Trent Lott is the wrong man in a Republican leadership position because of his “pork-friendly” history, not because of his “racist” past.
You’re looking at the Thurmond debacle.
Explain his comments about how “all Iraqis look the same” to him.
Explain his comments about how “all Iraqis look the same” to him.
His exact statement:
“Why do they kill people of other religions because of religion? Why do they hate the Israelis and despise their right to exist? Why do they hate each other? Why do Sunnis kill Shiites? How do they tell the difference? They all look the same to me.”
He’s talking about religious differences, not racial differences.
Since the interview was about Iraq, I assume he’s talking about Iraqi Shiites and Iraqi Sunnis (who are both primarily Arab). Here is a breakdown of Iraqi demographics:
Ethnic groups: Arabs 75-80%, Kurds 15%-20%, Assyrian, Iraqi Turkmen or other 3%-5%
Religions: Muslim 97% (Shi’a 60%-65%, Sunni 32%-37%), Christian or other 3%
Go back and substitute “Catholics kill Protestants” for “Sunnis kill Shiites” in his statement and you’re talking about Northern Ireland. Tell me again how this is racist? Can YOU tell Iraqi Sunnis from Shiites just by looking at them?
Sounds like manufactured outrage to me.