What About Henry Gassaway Davis, Stephen Elkins, or Harley Staggers Day?

State legislators can come up with some good ideas and some not so good ideas.

In this year's session, eleven have decided to sponsor a meausre to make Senator Robert Byrd's birthday a state holiday.

Byrd had one paramount cardinal virtue. Show up for work every day that you possibly can. His efforts to get to votes in his advanced age approached the heroic. How ironic that some want to honor that dedication with giving folks a day off.

Also, let's not forget that Senator Byrd has not been our only legislator of note on the national stage. Harley Staggers served his congressional district faithfully for decades and helped to save railroads in the late 1970s. Henry Gassaway Davis and Stephen Elkins served in the U. S. Senate and helped to build the industrial base that sustains our state today. Arthur Boreman and Francis H. Pierpont risked capture and execution as traitors against the Commonwealth of Virginia to stay loyal to the Union and help create the Mountain State.

I'd like to say that Senator Byrd would be against this, but the man did like having his name attached to stuff. Despite the possibility that he would be elated by this kind of honor, it would be better to recognize his memory at the beginning of every session by having a reading of the United States Constitution and a pledge that each member will have it be his guide. That was Senator Byrd's other sincere political love. Remember him with something productive, not inactivity paid for by the taxpayers.

Robert C. Byrd (November 20, 1917 – June 28, 2010)

West Virginia has lost one of its best friends and most staunch supporters in Senator Robert C. Byrd. The Republican Party joins with the people of West Virginia and around the world whose lives were touched by this great individual.

We differed with Senator Byrd on many principles, but we never for a second questioned his integrity and love for the United States Constitution and the State of West Virginia. He battled in the name of our founding document against political friend and opponent alike. Byrd earned one of the highest honors due a Senator, the position of Majority Leader. However he abandoned that post during a time when West Virginians suffered from severe economic distress to chair the Appropriations Committee. From there he steered billions of federal dollars here. Again, we may disagree with the method in which he worked to benefit the Mountain State, we do not question his heart or positive intentions.

Senator Byrd followed in the footsteps of a long line of great West Virginia legislators such as Stephen B. Elkins, Harley O. Staggers, Jennings Randolph and many others. He carried on a tradition of common sense principles on the national level coupled with the desire to advance his state.

We also remember the scholarship of Senator Byrd, advancing the national discussions on law and rights. He wrote on the history of the Roman Senate, but was more famous for his works on the United States Congress. Historians for some time to come will remain grateful for his compilations of senatorial statistics and important addresses. We would certainly not be honest if we claimed to agree with all of his other writings, particularly those about President George W. Bush, but we definitely respect these expressions in the great tradition of our natural right to disagree with the government and its leaders.

Senator Byrd always cut a unique figure. In his early years of campaigning he loved to talk politics to voters while entertaining him with his fiddle. In later years he brought powerful constitutional issues up for debate in his beloved Senate. Regardless of where he was or what he did, Robert C. Byrd was a leader and people appreciated him.

West Virginia already misses him. He lived to work in a land where political storm clouds rose, but now the Lord has called him home to the land of unclouded days.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - Help Stop Obamacare Now!

Today in Charleston, Joe Manchin, Democrat members of the Legislature, Democrat staffers and Democrat congressional aides will gather to celebrate Senator Byrd becoming the longest serving Congressional member in U.S. history. It is also widely rumored that Senator Byrd himself is planning on attending. But while Democrats party under the dome at the state capitol a defining moment is coming to Washington in this year's health care debate.

Yesterday, Democrat leaders announced they will bring Harry Reid's new health care bill to the Senate floor in an effort to grant the President's Christmas wish for a government takeover of our nation's health care before the end of the year. This is in spite of the fact that no Senator has ever even seen Reid's new bill. It was written in secret behind locked doors by Harry Reid's personal staffers. Reid even hinted he may rush to a vote before the bill's been public for 72 hours, as even some Democrats have demanded.

To begin debate on this new version of Obamacare, Reid will play a shell game. He needs 60 senators to "vote to proceed" to an unrelated piece of legislation, and once he clears that hurdle he will strike that bill's text and insert his new health care bill. But don't be fooled by Democrat senators that say they oppose a government takeover but just wanted to allow debate on health care, they are not being honest.

The simple fact is this: Any senator that votes to proceed to the Reid-Obama bill is voting for a government takeover of your health care.

Call Senators Rockefeller and Byrd's offices right now and demand that they vote against the motion to proceed.

Senator Jay Rockefeller - (202) 224-6472
Senator Robert Byrd - (202) 224-3954

Or show up today at 3 p.m. in front of the Senator Byrd's statue on the second floor Rotunda of the State Capitol and ask Byrd in person not to support Harry Reid's undemocratic parliamentary maneuver "to proceed"

Don't allow Democrats to stick together on the vote to prceed and then allow some vulnerable Democrats to vote against final passage of the bill and claim they tried to stop it. Senators who say they just want to allow for debate are trying to deceive their voters while giving President Obama the crucial votes he needs to pass a government takeover of health care.

Voters should be watching and remember who stands up for their freedom and who stands with the special interests who want to ram through this takeover.

Democrats have now offered 5 different versions of Obamacare (the first House bill, the second House bill, the Senate Finance bill, the Senate HELP bill, and now Reid's bill). And despite the nuances, every Democrat bill we've seen puts Washington in control of health care, slashes Medicare coverage for seniors, raises premiums for families, raises taxes, places bureaucrats between patients and doctors, punishes young adults who choose not to buy coverage, and opens the door to government rationing of care.

We know the Reid plan will be more of the same and cannot be fixed by a few amendments on the Senate floor. The attempt to give Washington control over one-sixth of our economy is rotten to its core. And any improvements made to the bill will be a mirage that will vanish as soon as the bill goes behind closed doors in conference with the Pelosi bill.

Americans have loudly and repeatedly rejected the President's government takeover of health care. It's time to for the Democrats to listen, stop the shell games, and start over with real solutions that will provide every American the opportunity to afford, own and keep a health care plan that best meets their needs. We can have a real debate about common sense solutions, but only if we first stop this government takeover. And we can stop this bill if we let Democrats know they'll be held accountable for their vote next November.

Don't let them vote for a government takeover of health care before they vote against it. The "vote to proceed" to Obamacare may be one of the most important votes any Senator takes.

Make sure that Senator Byrd and Rockefeller both know that we are watching and that we'll remember them partying in Charleston while their colleagues in Washington were enslaving generations of West Virginians in a government run health care system with long lines, rationing and sub-standard care.

(The Preceding is an Action Alert from the WVGOP)

A worthy read on Robert C. Byrd

Robert C. Byrd, Dirty Money & That Old Company Store by Halli Casser-Jayne

Halli Casser-Jayne is the author of A YEAR IN MY PAJAMAS WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA, The Politics of Strange Bedfellows. You can follow her thoughts @ http:www.thecjpoliticalreport.com

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) Senate Floor Remarks on Afghanistan

Time to Make a Constitutional Challenge Against the Czar System

West Virginia mining operations filed for almost eighty permits to begin surface mining operations within the state this year. Obama's administration denied every single one of them. Denied permission to mine. Denied the state needed revenue in hard times. Denied countless West Virginians good paying jobs. The Environmental Protection Agency officially denied these permits. However a known "globull warming" expert, Carol Browning, serves as czar of the environment and climate change.

Here's the question. What role did she play in denying these permits? A Freedom of Information Act request should be directed at her office and the EPA to try and find any causal links between Obama's "special advisor" and these denials. If there is a definite link, then coal companies and miners should launch a federal case.

These special advisors skirt the Constitutional requirement that the Senate confirm every presidential appointment. We have seen bewildering appointments, such as a "safe schools czar" who proudly admitted to encouraging a fifteen year old boy to have sex with an old man at a bus station, but only if he used a condom. Sean Hannity revealed FBI transcripts of a seminar he attended that described how a man could have intercourse with an eighteen month old baby. If for no other reason, this is why the Founding Fathers wanted Senatorial participation in the appointment process. We also need congressional oversight over these appointments for policy reasons.

Senator Byrd complained several months ago about these appointments. Democratic Senators have launched hearings into the practice. They requested that Obama send a representative to explain his position; he so far has failed to respond.

Someone at some point needs to challenge the "czar" system. Few people worried when a handful of special advisors worked for presidents on extraordinary problems. Forty-one appointees and counting demonstrates a willful avoidance of the Constitution. Time to bring this presidency back to reality.

Give and Take

Obama's selection for the Supreme Court, likely forever after known as "the wise Latina woman" (time will tell if that will be a statement of admiration or derision) will be confirmed. Republican senators opened their guns on her and pushed her into a series of non statements, but she did not slip enough to warrant her rejection. There is also the idea that with a left wing president and a left leaning congressional leadership, she may be as good as we get even though, objectively speaking, she is awful.

Sotomayor's imminent confirmation also reflects the reality that is shaping up this summer. Obama and other leftists had two priorities in this non election year, health care deform and climate legislation. The costs of both upon Americans would be staggering. Climate legislation, also known as cap and trade, or the National Energy Tax, barely passed the House. With the opposition of Robert Byrd and other Democrats from states that stand to suffer from this bill, cap and trade may not yet be DOA, but with enough pressure from voters, it could be soon. Health care deform, with its horrible high cost and amazingly complex bureaucracy, might not even make it out of the House of Representatives. Majorities in both houses came from traditionally conservative districts voting Democratic so the margin for error for these incumbents going into 2010 is razor thin.

Sotomayor, thus represents a victory for Obama, but one that conservative Democrats will tout as an example of support for the president when they could not vote with him on his priorities. Bush saw the same dynamic when he could not pass controversial legislation on Social Security. Republicans worked that much harder to get his judicial nominees confirmed.

We still need voters to express their disgust over these major and costly initiatives that left wingers want to ram down our throats. Victory, however, is in sight if we keep the pressure up.

Congressmen ask to sign pledge they will read Health Care Bill

Let Freedom Ring has asked Congress to sign a pledge to do something they should automatically do, read the bill they are going to vote on. This should be a no brainier. All Congressional members if they are doing their job should be reading the bills.

Rockefeller, Byrd must vote NO on Anti-Gun Sotomayor

Sotomayor had this to say on gun rights, "I understand how important the right to bear arms is to many, many Americans. In fact, one of my godchildren is a member of the NRA. And I have friends who hunt." She said nothing on her stance in that statement. Understanding how important gun rights are to some and supporting the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution are two different things. Having friends that hunt or family that are members of the NRA, doesn’t mean she shares those opinions. That was a total dodge of the question. You only dodge the question when you do not want to reveal your true feelings.

When Tom Coburn of Oklahoma asked about gun rights, Sotomayor said, "I can't answer...because I can't look at it in the abstract.” There is nothing abstract about the 2^nd Amendment. It is quite clear, “the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Coburn went on and pressed Sotomayor asking if a person had a fundamental right to self defense. Sotomayor’s reply should have been, “Yes!” It was not, she stated, "What we do is different than the conversations citizens have about what they want the law to do. It's not that we make a broad policy choice and say this is what we want."

Founding Father Thomas Jefferson summed up his feelings in letter to Peter Minor, July 20, 1822 when he wrote, “I presume he is a gun-man, as I am sure he ought to be, and every American who wishes to protect his farm from the ravages of quadrupeds & his country from those of biped invaders. I am a great friend to the manly and healthy exercises of the gun.” The Founding Fathers were quite clear the right to defend ones self and ones nation were to be in the hands of the people. Sotomayor’s position does not reflect that of the majority of the nation, the people of West Virginia or that of the Founding Fathers. Our Senators in Washington should vote NO on her appointment to the US Supreme Court and we must ask them to vote NO. The number for the Senate switch board is 202-225-3121.

On Czars

The first man to assume the title of "czar" was Ivan the Terrible in Russia. His reign introduced a period of totalitarianism never seen again in the country until the time of Stalin. Over twenty years ago the word was used in American government to refer to officials with unprecedented powers to address dangerous problems. President Reagan appointed one to address drugs. Subsequent presidents appointed a few here and there. They were seen as emergency officials, not part of the routine.

Obama has appointed thirty one. Thirty one!

Czar Nicholas I wanted to expand his authority over Russia in the 1800s but found the traditional bureaucracy in his way because his ideas wer emostly ill-founded. To get around them, he appointed special commissioners to do his bidding and ignore the usual government procedures. This created confusion and turf wars more than anything.

Now we have the spectacle of a president creating positions to try and get around the Cabinet that he appointed. Senator Byrd has attacked the proliferation of czars as an abuse of power and an attempt to do an end run around the authority of the Senate over the executive branch. It is now routine in the Obama era to try to rush wrong headed policies thorugh as quickly as possible. The president's henchmen are empowered to do whatever he wants with no oversight whatsoever.

2010 cannot come quickly enough.

Why the Rush, Democrats?

If it seems like congressional liberals are in a rush these days, you're right. They want to shove the national energy tax, health care socialization, and everything else down the throats of America this year. Why? It may be their last chance.

Election years produce little of controversy or value in Congress. This is the "please forget what I did last year and re-elect me" time. Roll up the pork barrel and spread it thick. Try to make people forget just how badly Congress has done on the whole since 2006 when the Democrats came to power along with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. So try to shove all the crap in before 2009 ends and hope people forget before November of next year.

Congress has some of the lowest approval ratings in the history of polls right now. Senator Arlen Spectre (formerly R, now D, PA) has emerged as the face of Democratic fear. He tried to seize the tide of history by switching to the Democratic Party when they seemed to be in the ascendancy. Now, according to a poll conducted by Franklin and Marshall College and published by the Philadelphia Daily News, only 28% of Pennsylvanians believe he ought to be re-elected. This, remember, is a Democratic state. Only a short time ago, he posted a still anemic 40% re-electability number.

Democrats in Pennsylvania have seen their share of hard times. Like West Virginia, coal provides a substantial part of their total number of jobs and helps their state balance the budget. Proposals coming from Washington will only raise their electric bills and send them out of work, just as in West Virginia.

What will happen to Spectre? Probably his new "friends" will find some up and coming young guy to support in the primary who might have more charisma and less baggage to a fight with Pat Toomey. Just like Robert Byrd, the liberals will use him and toss him aside when they are done milking his name.

The party of the working man trying to put people out of work and raise their bills. The party of compassion tossing aside the elderly like garbage. This does not reflect the ideals of most Democrats, at least in our area. But the actions of liberal leadership have put their party at odds with the needs of their faithful.

*************************************************************************

By the way, much appreciation (if this holds up) to the West Virginia congressional delegation which decided to oppose the radical energy policies of Pelosi and Reid. However, the fact remains that so long as Democrats control Congress, we will be subject to radical whims cooked up in san Francisco mansions. We need a Republican Congress to return sanity back to policy making.

National Energy Tax Bad for West Virginia

Contact your Congressional Representative today! Tell them Al Gore's ideas are bad for West Virginia.

Sen. Robert C. Byrd E-mail: senator@byrd.senate.gov Website: byrd.senate.gov District Offices: Charleston, (304) 342-5855; Martinsburg, (304) 264-4626 Sen. John D. Rockefeller

E-mail: senator@rockefeller.senate.gov

Website: rockefeller.senate.gov

District Offices: Charleston, (304) 347-5372; Beckley, (304) 253-9704; Fairmont, (304) 367-0122; Martinsburg, (304) 262-9285

Alan B. Mollohan

Website: www.house.gov/mollohan

District Offices: Morgantown, (304) 292-3019; Parkersburg, (304) 428-0493; Wheeling, (304) 232-5390 Clarksburg, (304) 623-4422

Shelley Moore Capito

Website: http://capito.house.gov

District Offices: Charleston, (304) 925-5964; Martinsburg, (304) 264-8810

Nick J. Rahall II

Website: www.rahall.house.gov

District Offices: Beckley, (304) 252-5000; Bluefield, (304) 325-6222; Huntington, (304) 522-6425; Logan, (304) 752-4934

Obama's Quest to Raise Your Electric Bills Marches On

Last week Obama's anti-energy policies took a new turn for the worse as the federal government sought to weigh down West Virginia coal companies, miners, and the families that depend on their paychecks with additional rules on permits.

It's no secret. Obama has stated repeatedly that he wants the price of electric to rise. He promised additional taxes. Adding structural costs accomplishes the same goal without as much bad publicity. In a time when people struggle to simply keep their service turned on, the president callously demands that we needlessly sacrifice more. It's like asking a person to starve themselves at a low price buffet.

Certainly we should remove obstacles in the path of windmills and other alternative forms of energy. They form part of a cornucopia of energy sources both new and traditional. America needs cheap and plentiful energy to power our economy. Unfortunately Obama thinks otherwise.

Shelley Moore Capito has expressed grave concern, not only due to the impending rise in costs, but also the effect on thousands of working West Virginians. West Virginia's second district Republican congresswoman has shown more concern for these families than Obama or the Democratic congressional leadership. To be fair, Senator Byrd has also led attacks on these anti-Mountain State policies.

Of course over 60% of West Virginians could have predicted this result.

Presidential Retribution Inflicted Upon Eastern West Virginia and Elsewhere

The slow gradual pace of Corridor H construction in eastern West Virginia may soon grind to a halt.

Obama recently axed all funding for the project that, according to current plans, will create a four lane link between Exit 99 on Interstate 79 and the Virginia border near the Interstate 66 terminus at Front Royal.

An infuriated Senator Byrd, whose influence obtained funding for the road in the first place, responded that only Congress has the power of the purse. Byrd assured West Virginians that the money would be restored to the purse.

But will it?

The highway runs through the district of Republican Representative Shelley Moore Capito. Also, Byrd has remained almost as critical of Obama as he was of President Bush over executive infringement upon congressional powers. President Bush never touched this funding or this project, but it appears that the independent nonagenarian Democrat has earned a rebuke from the Obamanation. Possibly that extends to West Virginia voters themselves who chose McCain by a large margin and would probably vote for a dead dog before choosing him to succeed himself. The counties through which the highway runs, even staunchly blue Hardy, rejected Obama.

All is not lost. A return of Congress to GOP control would give Congresswoman Capito more influence. Also the state funding plan proposed by Gary Howell on FOX News remains a viable option, since it worked in South Carolina already.

It is interesting to see Obama reject the ideals of the president who remains ideal in so many liberal eyes. Kennedy was a tax cutter who understood the needs of national security while proposing Appalachian corridor highways as a national investment. Obama has nixed all three of these ideals of JFK while running up unfathomable deficits.

By the way, other rural counties, such as Elk in Pennsylvania also saw funding slashed. They also sinned by voting Republican in the last presidential election. High numbers of affluent communities will get most of the funds from the stimulus. Of course most of them voted for guess who.

His Ruthlessness said exactly what he thought about rural Americans during the campaign, that they were deranged armed zealots. And they get no stimulation. Especially if they voted against the Won.

"Debt As Far As the Eye Can See"

Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito in a Charleston Daily Mail editorial blasted the Democratic budget as one that threatens to saddle our future with unmanageable baggage.

She stated:

Families throughout our state continue to tighten their belts, watch their family budgets, and look for new ways to limit their spending. They're looking for responsible ways to cut back and save for the future.

Their prudence, however, is in stark contrast to the debate taking place in Congress over a $3.5 trillion federal budget that spends too much, taxes too much and borrows too much.
This $3.5 trillion is, of course, in addition to the $700 billion financial rescue plan, the $787 billion economic stimulus package, and trillions of dollars used as a backstop for AIG, Citigroup and other firms.

As I've said before, some of that spending - particularly key infrastructure spending through the stimulus package - can have an important economic impact.

Yet a pattern is emerging that is troubling to me, to many of my congressional colleagues and to many West Virginians. Simply put, Congress is setting the stage for an unsustainable level of debt.

In fact, the budget we considered last week lays out a framework to add yet another $5 trillion to our nation's debt over the next five years.

There's little question that the president and his new administration inherited debt, but it doesn't strike me as the best course of action to expand it at a record pace.

The proposed budget would increase taxes by approximately $1.2 trillion over 10 years, placing a heavier burden on job-creating small businesses. It would increase spending by $1 trillion over five years, placing even more of a burden on regular taxpayers.

In 2010 alone, government spending amounts to 25 percent of our nation's gross domestic product. The deficit for 2010 stands to top a trillion dollars.

As Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., chairman of the Senate Budget Committee has said, "We're seeing the prospect of another doubling of debt, and that's unsustainable."

Even worse, according to Capito, the Obamacrats seem to intend to institute cap and trade regardless of the opposition of the United States Senate. In other words, create federal regulations without the input of Congress. This would cripple West Virginia's coal industry, which provides over 1/3 of all tax revenues for the state. Obama and the left wingers do not care if West Virginia collapses, we did not vote for him anyway. According to Obama himself "I won." And that is all that matters to him.

Shelley Moore Capito and Robert C. Byrd have ferociously attacked Obama's plans in this regard. They are from different parties, but on the same page on this issue crucial to West Virginia. Hopefully West Virginia's remaining delegation will fight just as hard for the state and not fear the wrath of Nancy Pelosi.

Who pays when left wing Democrats want to pass heavy taxes and spend on nonsense plans? We do. For a long, long, long time.

The New Stamp Act?

In 1763, Americans were confident and proud citizens of the British Empire. They had little complaints about a government that protected them in the most extensive war ever fought.
Then came the deluge. Britain, hurting from severe deficits, started creating and enforcing tax laws. Some of these taxes were not unreasonable, nor did they represent a major burden upon most of the people. Howeverm they represented a fundamental attempt to revolutionize the relationship between the government and the governed. Parliament sought to impose its will and its vision of government upon the people without respecting their natural rights.
Americans responded. Within two years rioters marched through the streets, burning those who defended the hated taxes in effigy. By 1775 they once again took arms, changing their country and changing the world.

The Obama/Pelosi plan to revolutionize America has come at breathtaking speed. Leftists in the Pelosi led Congress want to put GPS trackers in every American automobile. Obama wants to place heavy taxes upon electricity consumption that will hurt all Americans. Consumers will make difficult choices about whether or not to keep their home heat at a healthy level while producers, including our West Virginia coal miners will suffer. All of this comes due to a global warming theory that researchers and events have now thoroughly discredited.

The fact is that electric prices are set to rise anyway. Caps on price rises have been in place in many areas since the 1990s. All the various governments have to do is remove the intervention, allow the free market to set the price, and take no action. Instead we will see both the price hikes and the taxes raised because the current left wingers are hell bent on revolutionizing the country and refuse to think through their actions.

Even Tip O'Neill, bugbear of Reagan era Republicans, would not advocate hurting average Americans to support a crackpot theory.

What will this bring, if all these plans are allowed to come into place? Eventually we will see our country transformed into the dull lackluster hues of George Orwell's 1984. Everyone exists at a certain standard, alive, but locked in one low standard of living. The government will follow you around in your car. Will we fight? Not if they can help it, because they will seize our weapons. Once they have our weapons, they will be free to do as they please, when they please. Medieval English kings understood that a government must remain accountable when the population is armed. Why don't some of us remember that?

It's time to remember our Founding Fathers. We do not need violence, but Americans conscious of their rights of all areas and parties must come together. It is time to remind the government who its employers are. People around the country need to keep assembling and demonstrating to their representatives how troubling these plans are. In 2006 we had a dynamic and powerful economy. Look what liberal Democratic control of Congress has done to our country. They won the vote, then kicked out the reasonable and experienced committee leaders, such as Senator Byrd and Joe Lieberman. This left only the most radical and dangerous in terms of their antipathy to the vision of the Founding fathers. It also follows the model of teh French and Bolshevik Revolution. Overthrow the system, then purge the moderates. All you have left are the radicals.

And they are not done yet. Not by a long shot.

Where Is the Media Now When Robert Byrd Is Criticizing a President?

They are there. Maybe it does not lead the broadcast or make the front page, but the story did spread across the country. Senator Robert C. Byrd compared Barack Obama to Richard Nixon in blasting his use of policy czars. Byrd's fear is that these officials are not subject to the same supervision as Cabinet officials.

Byrd also compared Obama to George W. Bush, a figure that most liberals seem to think is worse than Richard Nixon. Bush operated, like Franklin Roosevelt, to prosecute a war and enhance national security. Obama wants to use such officials to oversee the auto industry and attack coal companies.

Byrd notes that this contradicts the campaign promise to be the most transparent administration in history. Bush made no such promise.

Still one wonders about the process of story placement. Whenever Senator Byrd breathed an anti-Bush word it led the news, sometimes for days. When the defender of the Constitution trains his guns on Obama, the story selection process is slightly different.

Needless to say, the reporters and analysts have tried to do their job. They have done well pointing out the problems and inconsistencies of the Won. Republicans are skillfully staking out their position while playing divide and conquer between the antagonistic presidential and congressional Democrats.

I just keep saying, two more years, two more years. The good ol' USA needs to hang in there. Help is on the way.

If only Senator Byrd would add some useful action to his criticisms. Abandon those people who evicted him from his chairmanship and join the next GOP filibuster. He's will lose nothing, but he can protect his principles.

Byrd: Obama in power grab

Democrats Outperform Republicans Again

The Party of the Common Man looks really impressive these days.

Remember the bad old days for the Republican Party? In 2006 the war had taken a bad turn, seemed like half of the Republicans in Congress were under investigation, and the donkeys were on the march. Democrats and their media friends trumpeted the "culture of corruption" that they claimed dominated the GOP. They ignored Representative "Cashbox" Jefferson in Louisiana who took the concept of cold, hard, cash way too literally and fell over themselves to report about an Idaho Republican who may or may not have flashed signs to an undercover gay prostitute.

What a difference a few years have made? The Democrats have certainly worked hard to regain the top spot in the corruption ratings.

The Illinois governor tries to sell Obama's Senate seat. His nomination, by all accounts a good guy, will not be seated so long as he is the current governor's nominee. The Black Congressional Caucus is not pleased.

The nominee for Commerce Secretary must step aside because he is under investigation

The nominee for education secretary is a former Chicago city official. Nuff said there.

Caroline Kennedy has shoved her way to the forefront of much more experienced candidates for New York's Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton who may be opposed in her quest to be Secretary of State by Robert Byrd who is citing constitutional issues. Kennedy has the lukewarm blessing of Obama who has a major political favor to repay to a family that craves to remain relevant. Hillary Clinton also intends to repay her campaign debt through money raised by her husband abroad. There's a great way to start your tenure in that office!

Minnesota may or may not have elected a comedian to their senate seat. Fox News showed conclusively that ballots cast for Republican Norm Coleman were counted for Franken.

At least in Logan County they have the sense to make up colorful nicknames for themselves so we can easily identify the shady characters. I mean geesh, I thought Bill Richardson was the best guy they had for the presidency or failing that Secretary of State.

Meanwhile Obama's surprising choices of moderates for many positions have the Left fuming. One Leftist group is actually suing to get God removed from the inauguration. The Left thought they elected Leon Trotsky, not Bill Clinton. Hopefully Obama's moderate course is a sign for the future.

Ain't it a little fun to be a Republican right now? At least watching the national scene.

You Get What You Vote For

Two years ago, West Virginia had a choice for the United States Senate. One option was a lifelong political maverick who campaigned on cheaper American made energy a year and a half before it grew into a major concern. John Raese did not blow smoke at voters, he challenged them. Raese's campaign aimed ideas at the electorate and fired continually. You never needed to worry about John Raese's stance, he would tell you very candidly.

The other option was Robert C. Byrd. In his time he served as an effective diverter of federal funds to a poor state. The Democratic Party led us to believe that if re-elected, Byrd would retain his spot on the Appropriations Committee and fight hard for his state. Republican concerns that his advanced age might form an obstacle were brushed aside as ingratitude.

Well, 2008 swept the left into power and they started cleaning house. Long serving Democrats, such as Byrd, found that these new varmints cared not a whit for seniority. What does that mean for West Virginia?

It means less federal funding because Byrd has lost most of his influence.

It means we have to rely on Jay Rockefeller to fight for coal against an apparently hostile administration. I don't think coal should be the alpha and omega of our economy, but we certainly do need it as a pillar.

Voting in John Raese in 2006 would have given us a younger and very dynamic voice defending our interests in the Senate. I mean no disrespect to Byrd because he truly fought as hard as possible for West Virginia. I disagree with his ideas on how to build an economy, but he did care. Unfortunately, like Johnny Unitas playing for the Chargers, this term is the impression he leaves, old, tired, and ineffective.