Senator Robert Byrd Dies at 92

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

He dropped the n-bomb like ten years ago and his handlers apologized for him.

There is a LOT of context behind his statement that deserves mentioning, if you're going to mention it at all.

[Elephant Walk]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

There is a LOT of context behind his statement that deserves mentioning, if you're going to mention it at all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FIBJt-c2o0

"And I'm going to use that term."

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FIBJt-c2o0

"And I'm going to use that term."

He actually apologized for himself, btw.

[Elephant Walk]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

He actually apologized for himself, btw.

The statement was released by his office. (his handlers)

It means nothing, as it wasn't even a slip. He specifically said he would use "that term".

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by Elephant Walk

The statement was released by his office. (his handlers)

It means nothing, as it wasn't even a slip. He specifically said he would use "that term".

Yes, he didn't apologize for slipping up. He meant something specific and then used a word he thought best applied. Later apologizing for the offense caused by using the word, not "whoops didn't mean to."


No one's claiming the man to be a saint; I'm not sure what your point is.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

I'm not sure what your point is.

Throwing things against the wall to see what will stick? I agree about not claiming sainthood, but context matters.

The YouTube video doesn't give the full context either. It's worth reading the full transcript for that episode of Fox News Sunday (including what he had to say about Bill Clinton).

Just before where the YouTube starts, there is this, from a videotaped interview with Byrd:

SNOW: Let me throw a couple of names out at you and a couple of issues and just get quick reactions.

Jesse Jackson?

BYRD: Well, I've never been an enthusiastic admirer of Jesse Jackson. He made a bad mistake [affair and out-of-wedlock child]. We all make mistakes. I made a mistake when I was a young man. It's always been an albatross around my neck, in joining the Ku Klux Klan. We all make mistakes. We can strive to overcome them. That's his situation. What he and his God work out between themselves, that's their business.

SNOW: Terry McAuliffe?

BYRD: Bad choice.

SNOW: Ronald Reagan?

BYRD: Ronald Reagan was a very likable individual, charming personality. He had one or two or three or four ideas about government, and he kept those ideas in front of him always. I have often said that he didn't know a lot about the federal government when he came here, and when he left here he hadn't learned a great deal.

SNOW: Race relations?

As for the apology:

SNOW: Now, after our conversation Friday, I went back to visit with Senator Byrd, and he said, "There is a term I used in our discussion of race relations that people may misconstrue."

And his office has put out the following statement regarding that. It is, quote, "I apologize for the characterization I used on this program. The phrase dates back to my boyhood and has no place in today's society. As for my language, I had no intention of casting aspersions on anyone of another race. In my atempt to articulate strongly held feelings, I may have offended people that I intended to offend. Unfortunately, there are people in every race who would rather attack others simply because of ill-conceived, false stereotypes based on skin color. People who do this are obstacles to positive race relations and become the stereotypes that they despise. But by working together and continually improving the understanding between the races, we can overcome these narrow-minded people and the obstacles that they represent."

I can understand if the apology isn't enough for some people. And I'm not sure if the phrase "I may have offended people that I intended to offend" was a typo, a mispeak on Tony Snow's part or if Byrd was saying he meant to offend the kind of people he goes on to describe.

But Sen is right -- if this is going to be thrown out there, it should be thrown out with the full context.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Throwing things against the wall to see what will stick? I agree about not claiming sainthood, but context matters.

I agree, I just wasn't as willing as you were to post it

Not sure why people feel compelled to throw shit out there after a dead guy. There's the inappropriate thought or joke, but... he's dead. And it's all really old news.