Offering constructive criticism to the social cripples in our midst since early 2005.

[Iron Steve]

Originally posted by Spanky
Jesse Helms, for all his ranting and raving about socialism, was huge on farm subsidies. He especially loved tobacco subsidies. Robert Byrd is also a huge fan of farm subsidies, and they were both members of the KKK. Coincidence?

Can you provide us a cite on Helm's Klan membership? (and for the record I don't and never did like him). In lieu of a cite, I will accept a photoshopped pic of Jesse in Klan regalia as conclusive proof.

As for Byrd, look at this quote from when he was a Senator at the age of 48.

"There will never be a Negro on the US Supreme Court, I can guarantee you that. Mr. Marshall holds views with our dangerous to this nation and our posterity. I know a group of Senators, who, like myself...will hold up his confirmation vote for months if we have to."
--Senator Robert C. Byrd, June 1967

Yes, a major mistake. SOOOOOORrry. Mea culpa indeed Sidd.

[Spanky]

Originally posted by Iron Steve
Can you provide us a cite on Helm's Klan membership? (and for the record I don't and never did like him). In lieu of a cite, I will accept a photoshopped pic of Jesse in Klan regalia as conclusive proof.

As for Byrd, look at this quote from when he was a Senator at the age of 48.

"There will never be a Negro on the US Supreme Court, I can guarantee you that. Mr. Marshall holds views with our dangerous to this nation and our posterity. I know a group of Senators, who, like myself...will hold up his confirmation vote for months if we have to."
--Senator Robert C. Byrd, June 1967

Yes, a major mistake. SOOOOOORrry. Mea culpa indeed Sidd.

I thought West Virginia was on our side during the civil war.

[Iron Steve]

Originally posted by Spanky
I thought West Virginia was on our side during the civil war.

Depends, which side was California on?

BUt I dont want to read the political bs tofind it. Coudlnt someone direct me to it?

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Iron Steve
I am not attempting to mitigate the injustice of segretation, but regardless of Helm's level of contrition, or lack thereof, there is a fairly affective cure. OTOH, you can apologize to the victims of lynching from now until we uncover the WMDs, I don't think it really does a lot for them.

Yeah, it's not like segregation hurt anyone.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
Strangely, I think I read the same article. The best part was when he said something like, "oh, those guys, I just joined em because all the important people in town belonged, and I only belonged for one year... from 1942-1943". And then someone dug up a letter from Byrd to the Grand Wizard from 1945 where he was like "we must stop the race mongreling in the military, I would rather move to France than serve in the military with a Negro".

I'm sure he's really, really sorry.

You didn't read the same article -- the article I read did not have any of that.

Like I said, not the greatest apology I've ever read -- but Helms still believes his position was right. To me, that seems different.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Iron Steve
Can you provide us a cite on Helm's Klan membership? (and for the record I don't and never did like him). In lieu of a cite, I will accept a photoshopped pic of Jesse in Klan regalia as conclusive proof.

As for Byrd, look at this quote from when he was a Senator at the age of 48.

"There will never be a Negro on the US Supreme Court, I can guarantee you that. Mr. Marshall holds views with our dangerous to this nation and our posterity. I know a group of Senators, who, like myself...will hold up his confirmation vote for months if we have to."
--Senator Robert C. Byrd, June 1967

Yes, a major mistake. SOOOOOORrry. Mea culpa indeed Sidd.

Once again, as I said -- not the greatest apology. But I was referring to an autobiography that was just published, not what he said in 1967.

[Iron Steve]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Yeah, it's not like segregation hurt anyone.

Would you rather be black and subject to oppressive segregation (with the hope of eventual equal rights) or dead? Personally, I would take the former. Even if I choose the latter out desperation and misery from my oppression, I would prefer to choose the means of my demise, and it would be not lynching by a bunch of white guys in sheets.

I would probably just petition to the State to remove my feeding tube.

[Iron Steve]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
You didn't read the same article -- the article I read did not have any of that.

What difference does that make. Assuming the credibility of the source, if he said them, the words speak for themselves, regardless of whether they were cited in one certain article. The point that is being made is that his racism and participation in the Klan is more than just the youthful indiscretion that he can waive away with a couple of ghost written sentences.

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Like I said, not the greatest apology I've ever read -- but Helms still believes his position was right. To me, that seems different.

Judging by the quotes and actions over a period of over 25 years, I am not so sure of the sincerity of the apology. If his behaviour was limited to a brief exposure in 42 followed by a lifetime of contrite acts, that is one thing but this is a guy who supposedly repudiated his "limited" participation in the Klan and then followed it up with at least 25 years of measurable racist words and acts, including as a US Senator.

How does he explain that?

[Iron Steve]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Once again, as I said -- not the greatest apology. But I was referring to an autobiography that was just published, not what he said in 1967.

Here is what he currently said, according to your quote:

"joining the KKK was "an extraordinarily foolish mistake[emph added, and note: mistake, singular]" that "has emerged throughout my life to haunt and embarass me, and has taught me in a very graphic way what one major mistake[emph added and note, one, singular] can do to one's life, career, and reputation."

So he apologizes for his membership in the Klan but what do the Klan-like acts and words of at least the next 25 years do to that apology? Its like Hitler apologizing for the one major mistake of Kristallnacht as a means for absolution for the Holocaust.

The Conscience of the Senate. Indeed.

[SlaveNoMore]

Iron Steve
Here is what he currently said, according to your quote:

"joining the KKK was "an extraordinarily foolish mistake[emph added, and note: mistake, singular]" that "has emerged throughout my life to haunt and embarass me, and has taught me in a very graphic way what one major mistake[emph added and note, one, singular] can do to one's life, career, and reputation."

So he apologizes for his membership in the Klan but what do the Klan-like acts and words of at least the next 25 years do to that apology? Its like Hitler apologizing for the one major mistake of Kristallnacht as a means for absolution for the Holocaust.

The Conscience of the Senate. Indeed.

From the US Senate website

• At 9:51 on the morning of June 10, 1964, Senator Robert C. Byrd completed an address that he had begun fourteen hours and thirteen minutes earlier. The subject was the pending Civil Rights Act of 1964, a measure that occupied the Senate for fifty-seven working days, including six Saturdays. A day earlier, Democratic Whip Hubert Humphrey, the bill's manager, concluded he had the sixty-seven votes required at that time to end the debate.

At least we can see where the Dems get their filibuster chops from.

[Iron Steve]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
From the US Senate website

• At 9:51 on the morning of June 10, 1964, Senator Robert C. Byrd completed an address that he had begun fourteen hours and thirteen minutes earlier. The subject was the pending Civil Rights Act of 1964, a measure that occupied the Senate for fifty-seven working days, including six Saturdays. A day earlier, Democratic Whip Hubert Humphrey, the bill's manager, concluded he had the sixty-seven votes required at that time to end the debate.

At least we can see where the Dems get their filibuster chops from.

Sidd,

when is he going to apologize for his attempt to deny black americans their civil rights? I'm betting that it will be one day after the day that Reno and Clinton find the collective integrity to apologize to Elian for stripping him of his human rights to liberty and sentencing him to a life of exile and oppression in Communist redCuba.

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by Slave
[gnaw, gnaw]

Originally posted by Iron Steve
[gnaw, slurp]

Good job, fellas. I think those bones are just about dry, though. Byrd will probably only survive so many more elections, you know. After all, he's no Thurmond.

Hey -- here's some fresh new meat! Dick Durbin. Dumbass Democratic Senator from Illinois, who marred an uncomfortable critique about Gitmo with a wonderfully inapt Soviet gulag analogy. Go get em, guys! Bonus points if you can work in a persecution-of-Christians angle. And, if it's vicious enough, we might get Hello to contribute to the site!

Love and kisses,
Brother Rove

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Gattigap

Hey -- here's some fresh new meat! Dick Durbin. Dumbass Democratic Senator from Illinois, who marred an uncomfortable critique about Gitmo with a wonderfully inapt Soviet gulag analogy. Go get em, guys! Bonus points if you can work in a persecution-of-Christians angle. And, if it's vicious enough, we might get Hello to contribute to the site!

Love and kisses,
Brother Rove

He had the decency to apologize today.

The DEMs are using a very dangerous tactic. They are using Gitmo to criticize the president, but that implicitly criticizes the troops that are there. So they are being careful to say that it is not an indictment of the troops because they can't possibly be to blame. Instead they are blaming the administration and using phrases like "chain of command." It seems to me that they are trying to have it both ways, but I guaranty that our troops don't see it that way. The backlash from this might be huge.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by sgtclub
The DEMs are using a very dangerous tactic. They are using Gitmo to criticize the president, but that implicitly criticizes the troops that are there.

Yeah, no Democrats care about abuse and torture at places like Gitmo. They're pretending to care, just so they can criticize the president.

I don't know what Durbin apologized for. Andrew Sullivan got it exactly right. A lot of Republicans who pretend to give a shit about the abuse would much rather jump all over the rhetoric of people talking about it.