The Politico is reporting speculation that ailing and deteriorating Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) could be dethroned and replaced as Appropriations Chair, at least on an interim basis, by Patty Murray.
The article is an interesting look into the culture of the Senate and the difficulty of muscling out graying members of the exclusive club, on both sides of the aisle.
That, and Murray's steady rise since 1992 speaks to the importance of Senators having a highly effective staf to rely upon, especially as one moves toward leadership.
Posted by Eric Earling at December 18, 2007 07:27 PM | Email ThisGreat!! Senile ex KKK dude replaced by clearly one of the least respected, OK, stupidest, Senators in recent history: Pattycakes.
Clearly, her staff makes up for her ignorance. That doesn't take much of a staff.
Earth to WA voters......we have an idiot representing us.
Posted by: Hank on December 18, 2007 07:23 PMI frequently enjoyed a bit of levity while walking back and forth from my office to the senate chambers. While most prominent senators could be seen walking in the senate tunnel with a staffer or two, I regularly saw Patty marching with a sycophantic posse armed with clip boards and brief cases, hanging on her every word. A regular royal procession, it was.
We in Washington should be proud of our royalty. It's too bad we didn't send Darcy Burner back to round out a trifecta.
Posted by: samuel huntington on December 18, 2007 07:44 PMChange of guard, but no change in practice. It will up to the next President to get rid of the wasteful earmarks - because the US Senate sure as hell won't !
Posted by: KS on December 18, 2007 08:46 PMChange of guard, but no change in practice. It will up to the next President to get rid of the wasteful earmarks - because the US Senate sure as hell won't !
Posted by: KS on December 18, 2007 08:46 PMLOL.
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on December 19, 2007 06:19 AMThen again, he is an unrepentant member of the KKK and was using racial slurs on nationwide television as little as five years ago, so perhaps this is his just reward.
Posted by: Graham on December 19, 2007 08:19 AM/sarc
Posted by: jimg on December 19, 2007 10:21 AMYou have only yourselves to blame.
She knows what side her bread is buttered on. What else do you need to know?
Posted by: ewaggin on December 19, 2007 12:09 PMA complete list of the 40 senators whose name appears at least 100 times in the omnibus spending bill is" Here
Posted by: Pagar on December 19, 2007 12:17 PMNo need for us to build the daycare centers. Osama bin Laden has already done so, according to a Remedial Patty speech.
Posted by: Saltherring on December 19, 2007 12:40 PMThey didn't call Mr. Byrd the pork king for nothing.
Dumb buddy, really dumb.
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on December 19, 2007 01:06 PMPlease locate a Republican candidate.
Posted by: Where's Strom? on December 19, 2007 02:13 PMShow me a comparable period where Democrats sold earmarks and influence to the highest bidder like the R's did during the last part of their reign in Washington?
Yes, D's have been exposed for corruption. Hello William Jefferson, Hello House Bank, etc. D's aren't pure. And where corruption exists, it should be exposed and punished to the fullest extent of the law. No sympathy for corrupt politicians who violate the public trust, period.
But on the scale of recent R corruption, c'mon.
Tom Delay -- driven out by corruption
Bob Ney and Duke Cunningham -- corrupt, resigned, in jail
Jack Abramoff, numerous Republican lobbyists, several Bush Administration officials -- in jail, working to avoid jail terms, or awaiting indictment
Conrad Burns -- defeated at the poll, corruption
Even Jeff Flake and Tom Coburn would credit -- and have -- the Democrats for making changes to the process and reigning in earmarks. That's not to say they approve of the Democrats because they don't and they're both still raging against earmarks.
Just wait till the Secret Service visitor logs from the White House go public as directed by a court this week. Then we'll really see how truthful the White House has been about its involvement in the corrupt Republican mess.
I understand this is a place for Washington conservatives. I'm not one of them, though I do occasionally read this site and find the material of interest and thought provoking. But its also a place where derision or others and particularly elected officials seems to count for contribution to the public discourse and that just hurts your cause.
Hey bls, he can't. Army M/V is like that crazy old dude who just says things because he can. The two things Army M/V can actually form articulate sentences around usually involve 1) The Vietnam War, 2) How much he hates his union. Anything beyond that is pretty much a lost cause.
You're going to have to prove this - I for one don't believe it as far as I can throw the White House.
Posted by: Steve in Queen Anne on December 20, 2007 01:05 PMOh, yeah, faithful and distinguished alright. The most faithful and distinguished KKK Grand Kleagle ever to serve in the US Senate. The only Klansman ever to hold such political power. You 'Rats must be proud.
Posted by: Interested Observer on December 20, 2007 02:24 PM