Sen. Byrd May Be The Victim Of Righwing Dirty Tricks!

[Catrina]

I just read that Sen. Byrd's office said that 90% of their calls are urging him to support the Alito nomination.

This is simply not possible ~ so, rather than slam him yet, please email or call his office and present this possibility to them.

Yesterday his Republican opponent announced his intention to run against him. He also said that he would not be able to control pacs and other groups who support him, from attacking Sen. Byrd.

I have a bad feeling about the timing of his announcement and the decision Sen. Byrd is reportedly making, in response to calls from his 'supposed' supporters, which will lose him his Democratic support and will not gain him a single vote on the right.

We owe him the chance to consider this possibility ~

This is a typical Rove type tactic. I for one, am not ready to give up on the man who stood firm against this administration from day one.

[rodeodance]

1. how can 90% tell him to say yes--impossible to me--unless The Left did

not call him-assuming he would vote no?--and he got overwhelmed with RW calls.

[mom cat]

15. That is exactly what I think happened.. AND our PACs have gone to

sleep.
See this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x253729

[tridim]

2. Keep in mind, the 90% was before his "yes" commitment

Read, Dems assumed he was going to vote "no", so they didn't see the need to call.

I wonder what the numbers are now?

[Catrina]

5. Exactly!!! I think there are operatives at work!

I have faxed his office to let them know that this is very suspect. Please let them know this. I doubt they are familiar with these dirty tricks. I would hate to see him fall for it. One fax won't alert them. But several might.

[Ian David]

29. Anyone else here with a bunch of people and hand-write letters...

to swing-state voters?

Byrd is a dumbass.

[Wordie]

34. Apparently he may have a well-financed RW challenger...(+other thoughts)

Found this at freeperville:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1558145/posts

It would seem to me wise to think of the concerns of West Virginians when writing to Byrd - he has to consider the needs/views of his constituents.

That's one reason the unitary executive idea might deserve another try. Even with Alito ostensibly backing away from it, saying it was more limited in scope than people generally were thinking, the theory as generally applied says that the executive has complete control over federal agencies. This means things like mine regulation would be ultimately up to Bush to define (and we know Bush is anti-regulatory). So, it would seem to me that making the case that even if the Alito's take on the theory has it more limited in scope, as he says, it still a potential risk to states that depend on regulatory actions of the Federal government to protect their workers.

At least, that's the case I will try to make to Byrd.

BTW, here's a great article on the theory of the unitary executive and its dangers. http://www.consortiumnews.com/2006/011106.html I'm planning on sending the following excerpt to Byrd:

Founding Fathers

Alito has argued that a powerful executive is what the Founding Fathers always intended. In a speech in 2000, he said that when the U.S. Constitution was drafted in 1787, the framers “saw the unitary executive as necessary to balance the huge power of the legislature and the factions that may gain control of it.”

Scholars, however, have disputed Alito’s historical argument by noting that the framers worried most about excessive executive powers, like those of a king, and devised a complex system of checks and balances with the Legislature in the preeminent position to limit the President’s powers.

Yet, with Alito seemingly advancing toward confirmation, the next question may be how many other justices on the nine-member Supreme Court agree with him about the “unitary executive.”

For one, Chief Justice John Roberts, Bush’s other appointee to the Supreme Court, has been a longtime supporter of broad presidential powers.

During the Reagan administration in 1983, Roberts said it was time to “reconsider the existence” of independent regulatory agencies, such as the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, and to “take action to bring them back within the Executive Branch.”

Roberts called these agencies a “constitutional anomaly,” which should be rectified by putting them under direct presidential control.

Roberts’s deference to presidential power has been a strand that has run through his entire career – as special assistant to Reagan’s attorney general, as a legal strategist for Reagan’s White House counsel, as a top deputy to George H.W. Bush’s solicitor general Kenneth W. Starr, and as a federal appeals court judge accepting George W. Bush’s right to deny due-process rights to anyone deemed an “enemy combatant.”

Another “unitary executive” vote is likely to come from Justice Antonin Scalia, who is considered the court’s most scholarly right-wing member. He has been associated with the drive to expand presidential powers since the mid-1970s when he headed President Gerald Ford’s Office of Legal Counsel and served as assistant attorney general.

Justice Clarence Thomas would appear to be a reliable fourth vote, having cited the theory of the “unitary executive” in arguing in 2004 that the Supreme Court had no right to intervene in granting legal protections to detainees at Guantanamo Bay.

[Catrina]

44. Exellent post ~ I just read Sen. Byrd's statement

He mentions in it that many W.Virginians have flooded his office with letters since the hearings complaining about the tone of the those hearings. He is of an age where civility was required, even when there were disagreements. So, that kind of argument apparently made some sense to him.

I can't speak for W. Virginians, but if anything, most democrats I know seemed to think the hearings were very civil, except for Lindsey Graham. So, it's hard to believe those letters came from Democrats who had the opposite view.

I do think that your argument is far more likely to get his attention than rude, uncivil attacks. He is human too, and having watched him in the Senate, even when confronted with Sen. Frist, who showed little respect for him or anyone else, he made his points forcefully but always with civility, and managed to silence Frist who walked out of the Senate that day, causing Sen. Byrd to wonder aloud 'where is my opponent?'. That was a memorable discussion on the need to retain the right of the minority party to fillibuster. He warned Frist that day 'don't make this your legacy'.

I think reasoned arguments, based on Alito's decisions, such as the warrantless strip-search of a ten-year-old girl, will have far more effect on Sen. Byrd, than rantings and ravings about how he is not doing what we want him to do.

[Wordie]

45. Thanks! I agree: Byrd, as well as his constituents may be highly concerned

with issues of civility, and may have objected to the grilling by Kennedy, as well as have had sympathy for Alito's wife (although his criticisms seemed equally aimed at the media, referring to their "kleiglights"). Better just to avoid those issues entirely, imho, if the letter-writer feels differently. Those aren't arguments likely to change his mind anyway.

Byrd has a deep love of the Constitution and our country, which I for one respect, even though there are specific issues with which we may disagree. Glad you agree with me on the best approach to actually convince him, if we even can, is a civil, reasoned argument, appealing to the man's core beliefs.

For that matter, most people are far more likely to be convinced by such arguments rather than anger, however justified.

[Ian David]

3. Like I said, maybe they paid a phonebank to call Senator Byrd. n/t

[Catrina]

7. Yes, I believe it was your post that made me realize how

suspect this was. Thank you ~

Anyone who watched the Abramoff hearings got an insight into how they use those phone banks.

Please let him know that he may be being set up.

[Ian David]

13. After the way he TURNED ON HIS FELLOW DEMOCRATS, I say let him eat it

If you want to tell him, then fine.

I'm disgusted with the fucker.

Did you hear how he just smeared his entire party?

Fuck him.

Fuck him and the horse-drawn buggy his mamma conceived him in.

[napi21]

4. I mosted something similar to this earlier today.

Please check this link to see how it works.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2376136

The lady who originally posted that info is trying to help us. The biggest problem I see is that the Dems don't have a message distribution vehicle like "the churches" to make something like this work!

[Genki]

8. email Sen. Byrd

[e-mail]

[napi21]

12. OK, I just sent Byrd an email. I was very nice, and asked that

he get his staff to verify that 90% number is real! I sent him a copy of the posting I had linked in my post above. Here's hoping.

[senseandsensibility]

35. I did

Thanks for the address. I was very respectful, as well.

[tnlefty]

39. I e-mailed him a few days ago and stressed my concern about

the theory of a unitary executive and how in my mind that theory is in direct contradiction to the Constitution! I mentioned, as I did with every out of state senator that I contacted, that my spouse and I had already called our senators to vehemently oppose the confirmation of Alito. I thought that he would be a No vote, but I contacted his office anyway.

Good Luck.

[Ian David]

18. We're too busy working, taking care of our families, helping the poor...

volunteering in our neighborhoods, and reading books that don't have pictures in them to spend all our time sitting in a church writing letters that say, "Please don't let the homosexual anti-christmas baby-murderers get abortions on demand at liqueur stores that are open on Sundays!"

Treat Byrd like my grandpa?

My grandpa never stood in front of a television camera and told people who want to destroy us that the rest of his family was disgraceful!

Byrd stood there and complained that his fellow Democrats made Judge Alito sad.

Boo fucking hoo. Poor Judge Alito. His wife pretended to cry.

How sad will his constituents be when they lose their healthcare and pensions and can't get handicapped access ramps anymore?

"I'm dying of diabetes homeless in the streets, but at least Senator Byrd made Judge Alito's wife feel better."

Fuck Byrd!

Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him! Fuck him!

And to any Democrat who sides with byrd, well FUCK THEM TOO!

[liberalnurse]

6. Contact Senator Kennedy's Office

and have them alerted to this scam. He can address this with the Senior Senator.

[Catrina]

11. Great idea!!!

I'm stuck right now, do you have Sen. Kennedy's information? That would be great!

[Genki]

14. Sen. Kennedy's contact info

[e-mail]

317 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202/224-4543

2400 JFK Building
Boston, MA 02203
617/565-3170

[liberalnurse]

43. I'm sorry but I'm still at work....

I plan on emailing his office once I get home. I did call several Senators earlier today on my cell since I had time but I got busy shortly after.

[Ian David]

25. "But how can they dial so fast? Especially with all those number zeros?

It takes forever to dial a 'zero,' because it has to go all the way around the dial."-- Sen. Byrd

[rhino47]

9. I have been away today.What is happening with Byrd ?

I hope it isnt that he decided to vote yes to scalito.

[Ian David]

20. Yeah, Byrd swallowed the Republican feeding-tube. n/t

[Free the Press]

10. um, after all of these years is their use of telephone banks new?

What is new is that telephone calls are being exclusively cited as credible constituent communications and grounds for a US Senator's decision making on their behalf.

Whatever the tool they employ, whether telephone banks, letter writing campaigns, or even boycotts, it is a winner JUST because they are employing it.

If the stream is running downhill, then they say it is uphill streams that are important and they all swim upstream.

If we get the stream to run uphill, then they say it is downhill streams that are important, and they all head downstream.

It's that simple.

The end justifies the means.

[Ian David]

22. He's never heard of people sitting in church hand-writing letters either

But I wouldn't be surprised if a sweatshop in Bangladesh were cranking them out.

[CountAllVotes]

16. I emailed him

and warned him about stacking the Supreme Court of our land with a bunch of cronies with no answers sitting behind their smokescreens as they decide whether or not a woman can or cannot do to HER body that SHE and NO ONE else owns and that btw includes killing it!

And that includes specifically this Alito creep (I left that out of the letter as I was trying to be semi-dignified).

:kick:

[LiberalAndProud]

17. Byrd told us what works.

Maybe he didn't intend to. But it seems to me that he's saying that form letters and form faxes and ranting phone calls will not help us so much. So if you have the time

write it out
long hand
on lined paper

[Ian David]

19. Shall I use sealing wax and have my squire hand deliver it? n/t

[LiberalAndProud]

21. Why yes, if your squire isn't busy elsewhere.

Oh for the lack of an old-fashioned facsimile machine.

[Ian David]

23. Then I shall set upon the task with quill and ink posthaste!

My Dear Senator Byrd,

Thou art a wrinkled old fuck...

[LiberalAndProud]

24. You have a way with words.

Still laughing.

:rofl:

Have at it IanDB1.

[Zan_of_Texas]

41. Impossible. It's simply impossible.

I'm serious. Hand-written letters, last time I checked, are quarantined at the Brentwood PO, checked for anthrax, and delayed several weeks AT LEAST.

No way could people have observed the hearings and sent him hand-written letters. How could they have arrived so fast?

Something is very fishy here.

Unless someone hand-delivered mailbags of letters. Not sure they could get through security though, unless there was some inside deal.

Oh, wait. Okay, it IS possible they sent the letters to his district offices - - but, how would he know they were hand-written unless his staff told him?

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

26. dobson's been running ads here in wv nonstop

giving out byrd's number, so his calls may be a bit slanted

[Ian David]

27. Ads on the talking picture box?

"Your world frightens and confuses me."-- Sen. Byrd.

[SurfRidem]

28. I doubt it.

Byrd's skeletons have long been out of the closet.

[Ian David]

30. I can see his skeleton right through his parchament skin. n/t

[Catrina]

31. I find your focus on Sen. Byrd's age to be very unfortunate.

I respect those who have been here longer than I and really wish we lived in a society where there was more respect for the elderly.

It is sentiments such as you have expressed (and which I have argued constantly against with rightwingers who despise the elderly, btw) that allow the Republicans to cast them aside, to cut programs that offer safety nets to those whow are no longer, as one Republican told me 'useful to this society'.

If you disagree with Sen. Byrd's decision, I for one, would give more credence to your arguments, if you were not condemning the elderly as a whole, in order to make a point. As it is, your point has been lost on me at least as a result of your disrespect for all those elderly who, in the face of the attacks they are under from this government, badly need our support.

Btw, one of the tactics to be used against Byrd by his enemies (enemies because he dared to stand up them over this war) WAS to be his AGE.

Meantime, I have just read his statement and I am more convinced than ever, that he believes he is respresenting his WV constituents and that he is the victim of very well orchestrated dirty trick.

You pointed it out above when you said he was specific in how he wished to be contacted. He is old-fashioned about some things, although he has one of the sharpest minds in the Senate. It seems to me, that since he gave that information out, his opponents may very well have used it.

Read his reasons for his decision, and you will see what I mean.

[Ian David]

32. You are absolutely correct. I apologize

I'm still pissed at the miserable fuck, but I will refrain from slamming him for being old.

I don't see why so many old people are driving around with "W" stickers on their cars if they're "under attack" though.

[Genki]

33. excellent point Catrina n/t

[tnlefty]

40. didn't one of alito's crap decisions involve an age discrimination case?

while i agree that taking shots at the elderly might be in bad taste, i swear that i remember hearing that one of the cases that came before alito in the circuit court was an age discrimination case, and again he appalled his collegues, and crapped in the face of the older person bringing the suit, and was the lone dissenting opinion.

twisted, eh?

[SurfRidem]

42. He is kind of bony isn't he?

[depakid]

36. Byrd's an old man

part of the corrupt beltway elite. He could give a shit about what his constituents think.

Like Strom Thurmon- he's a walking talking case for term limits.

[Catrina]

37. There it is again. The disdain for the elderly so prevalent in this

society, although I did think that progressives, (the very word caused me to be fooled I guess) were more advanced in their thinking and that if by some miracle, they should get to take back the country, a more decent society might emerge. It seems I was wrong.

Tell me something, if Byrd had announced that he intended to vote against Alito, would you have been concerned about his age?

As for term limits, we have them. It's called 'voting' and it seems the people of WV decided they wanted him as their Senator ~ otherwise they would limited his term.

It seems we may be right according to post upthread. The Freepers read Sen. Byrd's statement and unlike our side, decided to honor his request for respectful input. Please go read it. Freepers are the ones getting his attention, pretending to be supporters.

To Ian, I appreciate your response. Sorry, I did not mean to be confrontational, but I have a great deal of respect for the elderly and have them to be far more wise than many who are younger.

As for 'old people with W bumper stickers'. I have seen both, some who have and some who haven't. But imo, older people might be more inclined to trust their politicians when they promise them something. I doubt any of them in their long lives (and Sen. Byrd himself has said this, as has that other great, though 'old' patriot, Helen Thomas), have ever seen an administration as corrupt as this. They simply find it hard to believe, I think.

[wallybarron]

38. Bush won

WV both times. Our D governor is anti-choice. Two pro-choice state Senators left out of 34. Very few left in the House. Byrd has never been progressive. All of a sudden everyone thought he was great because he was against the war.