WASHINGTON - Sen. Robert C. Byrd, a former member of the Ku Klux Klan and a one-time opponent of civil rights legislation, endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination on Monday.

Obama is vying to be the nation's first black president.

Byrd's support comes almost a week after the Illinois senator's 41-point loss to Hillary Rodham Clinton in the longtime lawmaker's home state of West Virginia.

Byrd said he had no intention of getting involved while his state was in the midst of a primary. "But the stakes this November could not be higher," he said in a written statement.

Byrd said Obama has the qualities to end the Iraq war, which he has strongly opposed.

"I believe that Barack Obama is a shining young statesman, who possesses the personal temperament and courage necessary to extricate our country from this costly misadventure in Iraq, and to lead our nation at this challenging time in history," Byrd said.

Byrd has repeatedly apologized for his time in the Ku Klux Klan, which he joined as a young man in the 1940s to fight communism. He also opposed integrating the military, and filibustered the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Byrd is the longest-serving senator in history. As Senate president pro tempore, he is in line for the presidency after the vice president and House speaker......................................

.......... Who the hell would of ever thought a headline like this would be in today's news....Keep those endorsements coming Obama!!?!!

5/19/2008 3:37:36 PM

Sellout

5/19/2008 3:38:06 PM

RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE

5/19/2008 3:38:36 PM

i'm not voting for anybody who is supported by the KKK

5/19/2008 3:39:16 PM

lol. obamas campaign is one big race card fest.

cmon democrats, get a serious candidate.

5/19/2008 3:56:47 PM

RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE

5/19/2008 3:58:22 PM

Hi, I'm Robert Byrd. You may have heard of me.

5/19/2008 4:00:13 PM

Hi, I'm America. In this age of digital eternity, we can PROVE everyone can be construed to be a monster to his own cause because of what happened decades ago.Thank you and good night

5/19/2008 4:07:45 PM

yeah i was in the KKK for a few decades but i'm not a monster...none of us KKKlansmen were monsters...we only wanted to wipe out the black race...dont hold that against me though, that was DECADES ago

5/19/2008 4:09:42 PM

Quote :

"Sellout"

5/19/2008 4:11:01 PM

haha hes the one that said he knew white niggers



[Edited on May 19, 2008 at 4:18 PM. Reason : .]

5/19/2008 4:11:35 PM

Because people can't learn/change their beliefs......

5/19/2008 4:19:32 PM

i guess he is still feeling guilty for being a racist piece of shit all these years later

5/19/2008 4:21:36 PM

5/19/2008 4:22:04 PM

Yes, We Can.

5/19/2008 4:22:18 PM

We shouldn't have invaded Germany. Hitler could've changed his mind and we could've forgiven him.

5/19/2008 4:22:27 PM

the catcher was ten feet from the plate and the pitcher threw it underhanded, yet you still swung for the fences on that one

5/20/2008 12:20:43 AM

wat

6/12/2008 4:00:46 PM

omg really robert byrd was in the klan

i mean he's only been in the senate for the past 50 years...

6/12/2008 4:04:05 PM

Breaking News:

Quote :

"Obama is vying to be the nation's first black president."

6/12/2008 4:04:36 PM

all things aside

parties, former KKK associations, etc

the man is just AWESOME in day to day Senate activity...i used to sit through hearings he chaired all the time and he is something to behold in the creature that is the senate...

[Edited on June 12, 2008 at 4:20 PM. Reason : .]

6/12/2008 4:05:48 PM

he's also the only one who didn't vote for the war in iraq

6/12/2008 4:06:44 PM

Quote :

"Breaking News:"

i thought Keyes was the first. I wish Keyes was in, so I could be hip and PC and non-racist.... and vote conservative!

Quote :

"he's also the only one who didn't vote for the war in iraq"

what a snatch hole. PUSSY FAGGOT

6/12/2008 4:20:17 PM

I know, right?

6/12/2008 5:26:01 PM

http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/videos.jhtml?videoId=172954

6/12/2008 5:40:06 PM

old as shit. i think i heard this back in february. and i read it on perezhilton

6/12/2008 5:40:55 PM

the only thing I can conclude is that Byrd is a man that does what he believes in.

omg flip flop, he must be a commie too!

6/12/2008 6:01:24 PM

He only supports his white half

[Edited on June 12, 2008 at 6:12 PM. Reason : or is obama 100% black now?]

6/12/2008 6:10:05 PM

No matter what wrong you commit, if you're a Democrat, they forgive you.

6/12/2008 6:12:23 PM

Jesus forgives

6/12/2008 6:19:35 PM

Quote :

"the man is just AWESOME in day to day Senate activity...i used to sit through hearings he chaired all the time and he is something to behold in the creature that is the senate..."

Agreed. Robert Byrd is one of the few senators I respect. I wish I could watch a compilation of his speeches on the Iraq resolution from CSPAN (that nobody watched) before it passed.

People always bitch about politicians and wonder why they refuse to ever admit defeat or errors, yet people hold the KKK thing over Robert Byrd's head and disregard anything he ever says because of that despite the fact that he has apologized endlessly and has said on a number of occasions that he will go to his grave regretting his past.

[Edited on June 12, 2008 at 6:39 PM. Reason : .]

6/12/2008 6:39:30 PM

Quote :

"people hold the KKK thing over Robert Byrd's head"

its kind of serious...its not like people are holding on to him voting a certain way on some bill

Quote :

"I shall never fight in the armed forces with a Negro by my side... Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds -Robert Byrd"

6/13/2008 3:47:48 AM

"I won't ever ride the Shockwave. The rebel yell is the only coaster at king's dominion"-Fermat

"THAT WAS SWEET"- Fermat (after surviving the SHOCKWAVE)

6/13/2008 6:00:58 AM

being the only person to not vote for the war in iraq is enough for me to have mad respect for the guy. Everyone makes mistakes when they're young.

6/13/2008 9:26:43 AM

Well, there were 9 people actually (8 Dems, 1 Rep). Byrd has a framed copy of that vote hanging in his office, and says it's the most important vote he ever cast in office.

I agree Twista. It's definitely serious, it won't be forgotten, and it shouldn't be forgotten. But it's too easy for people to use it as an excuse to ignore anything he says or does. Call me an optimist, but I believe people can change, and he's a great example of the progression our country has made.

In the 03-04 Congress Byrd was one of 17 senators to have a 100% NAACP approval rating. He recently proposed $10 million in funding for the MLK memorial project in DC. I guess a cynic could say that he is just playing politics, but I don't think so. He has always said what he believes regardless of how it lines up politically.

Quote :

"You have a talent for leadership, Bob... The country needs young men like you in the leadership of the nation." Byrd recalls, "suddenly lights flashed in my mind! Someone important had recognized my abilities! I was only 23 or 24 years old, and the thought of a political career had never really hit me. But strike me that night, it did."

Quote :

"I know now I was wrong. Intolerance had no place in America. I apologized a thousand times... and I don't mind apologizing over and over again. I can't erase what happened."

[Edited on June 13, 2008 at 9:46 AM. Reason : .]

6/13/2008 9:42:39 AM