Sen. Byrd what do you suppose we do in Iraq?

[AlamoDemoc]

now that you are against Sen. Kerry's amendment?


on C-SPAN2 now

[uppityperson]

1. he's going on about it.

bring our troops home. US congress reauthorize use of force ( or not) or multi-ntl peacekeeping security force there or Iraqis be able to handle own security. Amendment speaks only to congress.... on more.

[robinlynne]

2. He did not declare himself against kerry's amendment.

[uppityperson]

5. he did, said he thought it might not be constitutional so can't suport it.

saying a different amendment is needed, we can debate a few more hours for the sake of troops and iraqi innocents.

[AlamoDemoc]

6. He;'s not supporting Kerry's...he's introducing different amendment

[uppityperson]

3. how does it differ from kerry's?

[AlamoDemoc]

7. he nixed his words, and one one knows what he was talking about

on edit: This is a senator who came to the Senate in 1957, he casted the most votes in the history of the US Senate...including his vote on civil rights in 1964, and many other votes he's not proud of, including many that he and many democrats would want to distance it from.

[uppityperson]

8. I got is he is not sure if it is constitutional but agrees with it, onward

[AlamoDemoc]

9. What do you mean he agrees onward?

he didn't support Kerry's amendment. PERIOD!

[uppityperson]

11. He agreed with the spirit of it, but had specifics wrong, questioning cons

he questioned constitutionality of the amendment, but agreed with what it wanted to do, so is trying to figure out another way to do what needs to be done and keep it constitutionally legal. So, onward with listening to them talk and posting on other thread. Sorry, shortcutting my comments.

[AlamoDemoc]

12. so he agreed "He agreed with the spirit of it" ?

My friend, we need to get out of Iraq...there is no spirit to it, nor imaginary to it. If you can't support withdrawal now, then your not sincerer about bringing troops home.

[uppityperson]

13. If you pass something that you know is unconstitutional, it will not stand

you need to write it right, phrase it legally or you don't have a leg to stand on. He is supporting withdrawal, needs to have it done legally.

[AlamoDemoc]

15. I am not too smart , so you would have to educate me on what Sen. Kerry

didn't do right, and what Sen. Byrd found unconstitutional on Sen. Kerry's amendment on Iraq?

[uppityperson]

17. my meager understanding is that he thought congress over-riding their

authority to pass legislation on when to get out of Iraq. However, he said he wasn't sure if it was or wasn't constitutional but would ere on the side of caution and ask for a different amendment, though continue to debate. I wonder if Byrd has anything on his website (assuming he has one).

[AlamoDemoc]

19. please ere my thinking on this... Sen. Byrd should retire. Period.

[jwirr]

16. This is also a senator who is a noted expert on the Constitution.

Have any of you stopped to think that he might know what he is talking about. If the Kerry amendment is not Constitutional then what good is it?

[uppityperson]

18. yes, it gets more debate, but don't pass an illegal amendment

I don't know what details he meant, but am looking forward to the continued debate and see what comes out of it all. I wish I wish I wish it were right now, but it will take more time and more people will die and suffer and I am glad that they are debating it and working on it.

[AlamoDemoc]

21. Yes..and this the same senator who never questioned or called

on conditional debate on any violation on the constitution on *Bush's administration, right?

The man is senile///and should retire shortly.

[jwirr]

22. Hardly senile. Once again it seems we try to defeat our own.

Would you rather have his repug opponent win this year?

[AlamoDemoc]

4. Sen Byrd with all do respect , I call on you to retire

[Hell Hath No Fury]

14. Oh bollucks!

:eyes:

The man is a Constitutional stickler and consistant -- if he says the Kerry amendment may be unconstitutional, I would certainly look at that seriously. As mentioned above, what's the point of passing something that will not stand up to challenge.

[Hippo_Tron]

23. Right... and who do you propose that we replace him with?

West Virginia is Repuke country now.

[seriousstan]

10. Here's another one, throw him under the bus.

How quickly we turn on our own.

[sandnsea]

20. Senate doesn't direct the troops???

I didn't see his remarks, but I'm guessing he might object on the grounds that the President directs the troops and executes wars - not Congress. From that perspective, this is really a HUGE thing that Kerry is doing.

[AlamoDemoc]

24. Folks we can't keep on senile member just because we have

no one run on his seat. We can do better. We can recruit and install charismatic and viable candidate in W. Virginia. But we can't continue on watching Sen. Byrd continue on his lack of comprehension on the senate floor.

[Catrina]

25. You must be joking!! Sen. Byrd has consistently gotten it right on Iraq

when, sadly, some of our 'less senile' Democratic Senators and Congressmen have given Bush everything he asked for. It was Sen. Byrd who, from the beginning, challenged every single lie told by this administration.

If he is senile, then please, let me be senile. The man is a Constitutional expert and if he says there is something that needs to be fixed in Kerry's amendment to make sure no one can challenge the constitutionality of it, then I would pay attention. That is not a reflection on Kerry, it's being cautious.

You must not have been watching Sen. Byrd as he wiped the floor with people like Sen. Frist, eg, giving this so-called Christian lessons on both the Bible (imagine that, a Democrat who can out-quote the Christian right on the Bible) and the Constitution! It was a joy to behold, causing Frist to run from the Senate floor as he was no match for the brilliance and the expertize of Sen. Byrd.

While many Democrats remained silent on the War in Iraq, it was Sen. Byrd who stood up to this administration and told the truth in the face of all the lies they told. On the night of the vote for the IWR he stood up and gave an historical and passionate speech on the folly of going to war in Iraq. That speech was heard around the world and will go down in history. If only his colleagues had followed his lead back then. Time has proven him right.

And in the atmosphere created by the Bush administration ~ it took courage to stand there and call them on their lies and deceipt.

Maybe you should read some of Sen. Byrd's speeches over the past six years. He has been a consistent critic of this war and of this administration. He has said that of all the votes he has cast in the Senate, the one he cast against the IWR is the one he is most proud of.

As for calling him 'senile' because of his age? There are all kinds of prejudices, and one that this country sadly engages in time after time, is rarely recognized as such, and that is the one that says 'old is bad'. In more advanced societies, the wisdom of age is respected. Sen. Byrd has wisdom. Had his colleagues in the Senate listened to him back in 2002, this would be a different country today and hundreds of thousands of people, now dead and maimed, would be alive and/or whole.

I suggest you do a little research on Sen. Byrd's stand against the Bush administration over the past six years. Clearly, you are not aware of it. Anyone who has paid attention to his position on this administration's policies would not make the statements you have made.

[Name removed]

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