Column for July 12, 2005

Morris J. Amitay

Senator Robert C. Byrd, Democrat of West Virginia, recently wrote a book entitled “Robert C. Byrd: Child of the Appalachian Coalfields.” Ego-driven books written (normally with a little help) by U.S. Senators are not a rarity here in Washington. But before you run out to your nearest bookstore or go to Amazon, there is something important you should know about this particular octogenarian lawmaker. Senator Byrd has absolutely the worst Israel-related record among all of the one hundred members of “the world’s greatest deliberative body.” He has earned this distinction particularly during the past fifteen years. During this period he has been on the short end of 98-1, 97-1, 99-1, 97-2, and 95-3 roll call votes. As far as pro-Israel initiatives in the form of Senate resolutions supported by overwhelming majorities (i.e. 2/3 or more) Byrd has an equally dismal record of failing to sign or cosponsor. Admittedly, Israel has not been a high priority subject in his numerous long-winded floor statements, with his sins here being more of omission than commission. But his animus to the Jewish State has been demonstrated by his raising questions about “special treatment” for Israel, and his reference to “the strong-armed tactics of certain (sic) Israeli lobby groups.”

 The answer as to why this self-appointed guardian of the Senate’s prerogatives and precedents has been so hostile might be explained by looking at his personal and political background.

 Byrd is the only sitting Senator who was a full-fledged leader in the Ku Klux Klan and an avowed supporter. His KKK career during the 1940’s began as a Klan “Kleagle” and soon after he was unanimously chosen to be the “Exalted Cyclops” in his West Virginia chapter. In his book Byrd maintains that the Klan was merely “a fraternal group of elites… and other upstanding people.” As a former two-time Senate Majority Leader, and as President Pro Tempore of the Senate Byrd was right behind the Vice President in line of Presidential succession – a sobering thought! He also incredibly states that the Klan he knew “never advocated violence against blacks, Jews or Catholics.” Also playing fast and loose about the duration of his close association with this hate group, he claims it ended in 1943. But in 1945 he wrote a letter vowing never to fight alongside Negroes, preferring death he maintained, rather than see America “degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds.” A year later, at the age of twenty-eight, he wrote to the Klan’s Grand Imperial Wizard – “The Klan is needed today as never before, and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia.”

 Byrd soon discarded his white hood for a political career, first in the state legislature, and then as a Congressman in 1951. He entered the Senate in 1958 and became known as the “Prince of Pork” for his ability to get federal funding for projects in West Virginia. He also has been described as the “King of Gridlock”. He filibustered the 1964 Civil Rights Act – much in keeping with his Klan background. More recently he held forth at length against the creation of the Department of Homeland Security to the chagrin of most of his colleagues.

 In order to advance in the Senate Democratic leadership – first as Whip, then twice as Majority Leader, he curried favor from his fellow solons by doing small scheduling and legislative favors thereby earning him the description as the “Uriah Heep of the Senate”. At the same time that he mastered the arcane rules of procedure of the institution, he eschewed any meaningful roles in policymaking. Unsuited to be his Party’s spokesman, Byrd decided to step down as Democratic leader to take over the Chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee where his largesse has been eagerly sought by his colleagues. Byrd’s lengthy orations, usually in front of an empty Senate chamber, (but on C-SPAN) are often replete with obscure references to Greek and Roman history, the Peloponnesian wars being a favorite. He once, for example, recounted how Roman Emperor Vespasian killed one, Helvidius Priscus, for speaking his mind, likening himself to this profile in courage.

 Byrd, who received his formal education late in life, has more than made up for a lack of erudition by giving new meaning to the word pedantic. However, this rather dour and mean-spirited windbag has invariably been tolerated and even praised by his more psychophantic Democratic colleagues. He was one of the first Senators Hillary Clinton sought out for wisdom and guidance on Capitol Hill. Particularly now that Byrd has come out so strongly against the war in Iraq he has become the new darling of the extreme left of the Party. MoveOn.org has already raised nearly a million dollars for his re-election campaign. There is little doubt about Byrd’s popularity in West Virginia, where he has been instrumental in obtaining billions of dollars for bridges, dams, schools, roads, public buildings, and the relocation of government facilities to the state. No fewer than 30 of these projects have been named after the Mountain State’s very senior and egotistical Senator.

 This is all in the way of providing background on Byrd who is seeking a ninth term in 2006. It has been said that in the U.S. Senate where age is equated with wisdom, senility is often regarded as “absolute genius”. But Byrd, while noticeably slowing down physically, is still fully in control. Since there is no reason to believe he will relinquish his role as Israel’s number one nemesis in the U.S. Senate, it is hoped that three-term Congresswoman Shelly Moore Capito might take on Byrd as the GOP cadidate. All observers agree that she would be the only candidate who could give Byrd a serious race. Some early polling showed her within striking distance but it is uncertain whether she will decide to challenge the 87-year old incumbent, and whether she could win. The alternative is that we will just have to put up with Byrd’s florid oratory and negative attitude toward Israel for a while longer.

Morrie Amitay is a former Executive Director of AIPAC and founder of the pro-Israel Washington PAC (www.washingtonpac.com).