It’s OK to ask Byrd to step down March 30, 2008
Asking Robert C. Byrd to step aside in our state is akin to placing yourself in the middle of a tornado, but it must be done.
There is a cold, harsh reality here that was clearly on display during a WSAZ interview last week that Byrd is nearly… incoherent. VIEW BYRD’S INTERVIEW HERE.
OK, let me preface all this by saying this is nothing against Byrd’s politics. It’s nothing against senior citizens serving our country. It’s nothing against someone wanting to hang on past their prime. Heck, it’s not even about Byrd’s legacy which will be dominant even over the next 50 or 100 years.
It is the simple fact that after watching the WSAZ raw footage of the interview with Robert C. Byrd, not even the most stalwart Democrat can look at that interview and say that Byrd has the ability to function as a United States Senator representing West Virginia.
If you haven’t watched the clip, holy smokes.
You’re in for an interview that will likely make your mouth hang open with Byrd’s inability to answer even basic questions with more than one word.
Of course, Laurabree Austin from WSAZ is trying her best to be as delicate as possible during the interview. She is repeating questions, and repeating them again and again, sometimes to no response, sometimes to a one word response, sometimes to an Ann Barth response on behalf of Byrd.
And, while she treats Byrd with respect, you can almost hear the frustration in her voice when Ann Barth starts answering questions for Byrd.
And, Byrd’s speech actually made me feel a little bad for Ann. After all, you can tell she really cares about him and the look on her face when they pan to her during Byrd’s speech is one of… well… pain.
I had that same look on my face after my Dad, in his 80s, was struggling back from a stroke. From time to time, glimmers of his old hard-charging self appeared. Actually, more often than not.
But, often times, as Dad tried to come up with words that his mind had scrambled, I had that same look on my face. One of… pain. One of knowing this once great man was no longer the person he once was and would never be again.
And, you know, it’s OK.
It will eventually happen to all of us. At some time in our lives, if we all live that long, a point will come where we simply won’t be the person we once were. We simply won’t have the capability to carry on in the job we once held.
Now, I understand that Ann is trying to keep the guy going through the election since I guess she sees it as her one and only hope to defeat Shelley Capito, but the fact is this…. Byrd should not be asked to continue through this election cycle.
In fact, its selfish of his staff, Ann included, to continue to try to keep up this facade that Byrd is still capable and on the job.
I’m trying not to be mean and illicit this backlash of “how dare you question Senator Byrd.”
And, I’m not.
I’m not questioning Senator Byrd, what he has done and the god-like way he is treated by some West Virginians.
I’m simply saying that he cannot, in his current capacity, properly function as a United States Senator.
And, anyone who views that interview and says that he is able to is… well… delusional.
Byrd said that he was going to stay in the Senate until “this old body gives out.”
In OTHER words, when he dies.
The fact is his body has given out (as evidenced by the photo in last week’s paper that showed two aides practically carrying him into the Senate chamber while he used a walker).
But, it’s now beyond that. It’s not only his body not functioning, but his mind is struggling. That is clear in the interview.
It’s time for the leadership in the Democratic party in the nicest, most respectful way possible to ask Byrd to step aside.
And, it’s OK to do so because of Byrd’s deterioriation which seems to grow by the day. West Virginia should honor and thank a Senator who has served as long as Byrd has - whether you agree with his politics or not - but it also needs to enlist a Senator who can function and do the job.
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17 Responses to “It’s OK to ask Byrd to step down”
Time for Photo Op Joe to appoint himself to Byrd’s seat. Timing is perfect, before the fall election.
You heard it here first
It’s good he has “trusted aids” like Ann Barth to help him know which voting button to push and when. I whink we all should have realized last election that we were actually electing his staff rather than the Senator himself.
Hopefully, we’ll have a constitutionalist that will get his seat. One that TRULY represents the people and not the government.
All that these senators do is pass laws to empower the executive branch against the people, we need someone to eradicate laws and liberate the people from excessive law in this country bringing back SOVERIGN citizens rights. Soverign meaning the government can’t touch them or make you get a license to use them.
I just shook my head in disbelief and shame when I saw that video footage…
Sen. Byrd has been incoherent for years. What an embarrassment to this state. Even more embarrassing is that our fellow West Virginians don’t realize it.
L
Not only do they not recognize it, they would vote for Byrd for at least 2 terms after his death.
Any wonder WV is in the shape it is with this fine, educated electorate we have ?
I agree with the above comments, about Bob’s senality. It has shown time and time again,that Byrd was only interested in his personal issues about his name posted everywhere rather than the interest of the citizens of WV. Can we start removing all of the Robert Byrd signs along the highways and buildings. Jennings Randolph was so much a better congresssional representative, representing the citizen of this. What would Byrd have done in life, If it wasn’t for politics.
Though I never cared for Byrd’s tactics in “helping” WV, I cant help but to hope that he goes out of the Senate with the dignity and respect that he deserves, the people of this state truly believe that he is the best thing to ever happen to Wv, and he has done well to ensure his legacy not be forgotten! But I feel so sorry for him, I hope that the people that truly care about him will not put him in such a humiliating situation again! I dont believe that we will get any better next go round, but I guess we can always hope! I respect his loyalty to Ann Barth and his party. But there is a time that it has to end.
In May of 2006, Senator Byrd was the commencement speaker at Marshall University. It was more than obvious then that the Senator’s move to retirement pastures was very long overdue. Re-electing him to the Senate in 2006 was not in the best interests of West Virginia. Nothing that I have seen or heard since then has changed my mind.
WOW! I feel sorry for Byrd and agree with Vic on this one.
1 in 6 West Virginians receive food stamps.
Ain’t you proud West Virginia Democrats ?
Ain’t you proud Joe Mansion ?
Ain’t you proud Bob Byrd ?
Ain’t you proud Jay Rockefeller ?
Ain’t you proud Molohan, Rahall, Capito ?
And especially you voters… GOOD JOB !
Funny, Jimbo, but “ain’t” 1 in 6 West Virginians also republicans?
Daniel
1 in 6 West Virginians are Republicans and that’s why 1 in 6 West Virginians are on food stamps.
70 years of Democrat rule
…opinions are like “holes” most people have one including me; however, its “UnThinkable” to ask the Senator to “step down”… He is to be commended for his presence at the event for Ann!!! As a Republician, do you not have compassion, understanding, and the ability to know that there are “recovery” periods for people of all ages whether it be the Senator or whom ever? Further, if you want to pick a fight what comes to mind is pick a fight with someone your own age!!!
Ginger Moore’s opinion is typical of the West Virginia electorate.
One doesn’t have to look far to see why WV is 50th in everything good and 1st in everything bad.
Yessir, 1 in 6 West Virginians are on food stamps and it is “un-thinkable” to ask any incumbent to step down, no matter what the reason.
Byrd’s not capable of doing anything for this State now. He’s seen better days. Anyone who works for or with him should advise him to step out of the picture if he truly loves West Virginia. We need someone with fresh ideas for our State to take his place. We should limit the time congressmen and women serve and instances like this one with Byrd would be avoided.
If Robert Byrd were a Republican, the Gazette would be leading the charge to have him step down. Instead, the Gazette is complicit in the conspiracy of silence among the Democrat party elders, who dare not point out that the “emperor has no clothes.”
It really is embarrassing not only to the state, but also to Senator Byrd. He needs to step down so that someone effective — even if it is Joe Manchin — can step in. For now, it looks like the state Dems are simply going to pretend that Byrd is up to the job, when clearly from that broadcast he is not.