According to Bob Byrd’s hometown paper, Senate Democrats have begun to discuss contingency plans to deal with his extended absence from Washington. And some have even jumped the gun and declared the passing of the 91 year old:
Sen. Robert C. Byrd’s state of health has prompted some quiet, behind-the-scenes discussions in the event the senator is unable to return to office.
I understand Gov. Joe Manchin met with state Democratic Party chairman Nick Casey last week, with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., on a conference call to discuss contingencies.
As noted before, Casey is generally regarded as the consensus choice to serve as a placeholder for Byrd’s Senate seat in the event Byrd would have to step down prior to the 2010 elections.
However, former Gov. Gaston Caperton was in town earlier this month to meet with Manchin, sparking speculation that he might be under consideration for that role.
Records for the governor’s mansion show that Caperton and wife Idit were guests at the mansion June 1-3…
Meanwhile, practically every newspaper in America keeps draft obituaries for prominent public figures and celebrities on file. (In the pre-computer era, newspapers’ in-house libraries were called morgues for that very reason.)
However, some Internet surfers were shocked (and some also offended) when WSAZ-TV’s Web site briefly posted a web page Friday entitled “Remembering Senator Robert Byrd, 1917-2009″ on its wsaz.com web site.
Like the draft obituaries, the Web page was obviously being prepared for use at some future date, but was inadvertently “published” briefly on Friday.
Whatever you think of Bob Byrd, this can’t have been the way he wanted to spend his last months/weeks/days in the Senate – watching potential successors bid for his Senate seat before he’s even dead. When he chose to seek re-election in 2006 however, the die was cast. Perhaps his physical condition will at least lead to some good outcome – the failure to overcome filibusters against truly offensive legislation.
As I have pointed out previously, neither Ted Kennedy nor Bob Byrd has voted in the Senate since April 27. Democrats are counting on Al Franken being seated in Minnesota to get them to 60 votes. The way things are going, they might need him just to get to 58.
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
KnightsofMalta
Dan Spencer
Dan McLaughlin
I like Monty Python
Pomme (Diary) Monday, June 15th at 3:02PM EST (link)as much as the next person, but when the news mimics The Flying Circus every hour on the hour, it’s a little ridiculous.
Just saying.
The Dead Collector: Bring out yer dead.
[a man puts a body on the cart]
Large Man with Dead Body: Here’s one.
The Dead Collector: That’ll be ninepence.
The Dead Body That Claims It Isn’t: I’m not dead.
The Dead Collector: What?
Large Man with Dead Body: Nothing. There’s your ninepence.
The Dead Body That Claims It Isn’t: I’m not dead.
The Dead Collector: ‘Ere, he says he’s not dead.
Large Man with Dead Body: Yes he is.
The Dead Body That Claims It Isn’t: I’m not.
The Dead Collector: He isn’t.
Large Man with Dead Body: Well, he will be soon, he’s very ill.
The Dead Body That Claims It Isn’t: I’m getting better.
Large Man with Dead Body: No you’re not, you’ll be stone dead in a moment.
The Dead Collector: Well, I can’t take him like that. It’s against regulations.
The Dead Body That Claims It Isn’t: I don’t want to go on the cart.
Large Man with Dead Body: Oh, don’t be such a baby.
The Dead Collector: I can’t take him.
The Dead Body That Claims It Isn’t: I feel fine.
Large Man with Dead Body: Oh, do me a favor.
The Dead Collector: I can’t.
Large Man with Dead Body: Well, can you hang around for a couple of minutes? He won’t be long.
The Dead Collector: I promised I’d be at the Robinsons’. They’ve lost nine today.
Large Man with Dead Body: Well, when’s your next round?
The Dead Collector: Thursday.
The Dead Body That Claims It Isn’t: I think I’ll go for a walk.
Large Man with Dead Body: You’re not fooling anyone, you know. Isn’t there anything you could do?
The Dead Body That Claims It Isn’t: I feel happy. I feel happy.
[the Dead Collector glances up and down the street furtively, then silences the Body with his a whack of his club]
Large Man with Dead Body: Ah, thank you very much.
The Dead Collector: Not at all. See you on Thursday.
Large Man with Dead Body: Right
“Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views” William F Buckley Jr.
Please, not Caperton
tcgeol (Diary) Monday, June 15th at 6:15PM EST (link)The man was an embarrassment and disgrace to WV when he was governor, and he certainly would be no better as a senator. Manchin has been a fairly decent governor for a Democrat and I can’t believe that he could consider Caperton.
I’m not familiar with Casey. I’ll have to look him up.
Just your typical bitter gun- and God-clinger
Even the Left admits we’re Right
We Need a Sestak; Some WVers Please Help Here;
Swamp_Yankee (Diary) Monday, June 15th at 7:19PM EST (link)This is huge. I’ve done some of my own research, but insider info is appreciated. WV is trending heavily Red. Obama’s numbers are low. Byrd could get away with being a staunch D because he was an institution.
Question? Will Is there a candidate who can put pressure on the replacement D ala Sestak/Specter and challenge to D to to represent WV. No one will run againt Byrd, but his replacement may be vulnerable and thus vote centrist.
Manchin will be good on enviro issues. I suspect all Ds would. He is bad on EFCA. Is there a D who would be good on EFCA?
Is succession automatice or is the time the seate will remain empty?
We should be pro-acctive line the Ds were in Pennsylvania a
We Need a Sestak; Some WVers Please Help Here;
Swamp_Yankee (Diary) Monday, June 15th at 7:19PM EST (link)This is huge. I’ve done some of my own research, but insider info is appreciated. WV is trending heavily Red. Obama’s numbers are low. Byrd could get away with being a staunch D because he was an institution.
Question? Will Is there a candidate who can put pressure on the replacement D ala Sestak/Specter and challenge to D to to represent WV. No one will run againt Byrd, but his replacement may be vulnerable and thus vote centrist.
Manchin will be good on enviro issues. I suspect all Ds would. He is bad on EFCA. Is there a D who would be good on EFCA?
Is succession automatice or is the time the seate will remain empty?
We should be pro-acctive line the Ds were in Pennsylvania a