There is no good news here. There will be obligatory ceremonies and speeches in the Senate; high praise will be heaped upon Mr. Byrd for his years of service to the American people and the people of the great state of West Virginia. His many “accomplishments” will be recited–his 20,774 days in the Senate, participating in 98% of all votes cast in those chambers, his shift from conservatism to liberalism.
West Virginia Senator Robert C. Byrd
Someone should keep a tally of the number of times the words “dedicated public servant” are spoken in tribute to a man who has spent essentially his entire life living high at the public trough. The largesse Mr. Byrd has bestowed upon the citizens of his state in the form of high-dollar, high-employment federal facilities is worthy of the kind of patronage usually dispensed by popes and kings. The man’s finesse at the edge of the pork barrel is legendary.
Our founding fathers would be sickened. None of them ever imagined that citizens would make a career out of serving in the Congress. In our early years as a nation, elective office was viewed as an obligation—a gift to the country from men and women who had distinguished themselves elsewhere.
Now Congress is a much-sought-after career—high pay, immense power, job security (incumbents rarely are turned out) and, best of all a retirement and health care package that is the envy of virtually every working American. None of this Social Security bullshit for these guys and do you think they will have to put up with Obamacare?
“I look forward to serving you for the next 56 years and 320 days,” Mr. Byrd said.
Someday, a small child will look up at you while standing at a graveside and say, “Why did gramps have to die?”
Your answer should be quick and unequivocal—”So that there was no way in hell he could serve 113 years in the US Congress!”
I can’t wait for Mr. Byrd to die. Why? I want to see his estate probated. How many tens of millions of dollars do you suppose this “dedicated public servant” has amassed in his lifetime? He was born poor but, despite a liftime of “dedicated public service,” he will somehow manage to die rich.
And, by the way, neither now nor when he joins Sen Kennedy at that Golden Saloon in the Sky, will many have the bad taste to point out that Sen Byrd was unanimously elected Exalted Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan in 1942.
Posted by Lloyd Williams 
The data above were taken from a CNN poll conducted about two weeks ago. Suppose you failed 7th grade math; suppose you were a congressman. How difficult would it be for you to figure out which of the above issues was most important to the American public?
Environment – According to The New York Times President Obama and other world leaders are NOT going to reach any binding agreements on climate issues such as CO2 emissions and global warming. Instead, they have agreed that next month’s Copenhagen conference would reach less specific agreements that would not be politically binding. They will shelve the most difficult issues indefinitely.
Medical Care – Congress is still a long way from passing Obamacare and, even if it does, they haven’t yet decided who will get screwed and how much. BUT, the Obama gang already have decided that, Obamacare or not, it will cut payments to Medicare Advantage by as much as 4.5% next year. And, according to The Wall Street Journal:
Change is for the worse and, based on your indecisiveness over the past ten months, there’s no Hope that things will get better.
Yemen – Things are going to hell in a hurry in Yemen and it’s not long before you’re going to be caught between Yemen’s branch of al-Qaeda and our good friends the Saudis. This is another one of those Sunni–Shi’ite things and it’s only a matter of time until the Saudis invade Yemen (with weapons we supplied). Got any plans?
Guantanamo – Obama promised to 
IBM Makes Supercomputer Significantly Smarter than Cat
November 19, 2009The above headline was published today by Ars Technica
I am not impressed. I own a doorknob that is significantly smarter than a cat.