Sen. Robert Byrd

A year ago, the President of the United States harkened back to his days as an aviator for the Texas Air National Guard to deliver a dramatic, made-for-television speech. Eager to experience the thrill of a carrier landing, the President donned a flight suit, strapped into a jet, and rocketed off into the wild blue … Continue reading “Mission Not Accomplished”

I have watched with heavy heart and mounting dread as the ever-precarious battle to bring security to post-war Iraq has taken a desperate turn for the worse in recent days and hours. Along with so many Americans, I have been shaken by the hellish carnage in Fallujah and the violent uprisings in Baghdad and elsewhere. … Continue reading “A Call for an Exit Door from Iraq”

Aesop once told the story of a jaybird that ventured into a yard where peacocks used to walk. There the jay found a number of feathers fallen from the majestic birds when they had last molted. He tied them all to his tail and strutted toward the peacocks. His cheat was quickly discovered, and the … Continue reading “Fairy Tales, Bush & the 9-11 Commission”

The Iraq supplemental conference report before the Senate today has been widely described as a victory for President Bush. If hardball politics and lock-step partisanship are the stuff of which victory is made, then I suppose the assessments are accurate. But if reasoned discourse, integrity, and accountability are the measures of true victory, then this … Continue reading “A High Price for a Hollow Victory”

The President’s request for an additional $87 billion for the military and for the reconstruction of Iraq is eye-popping. This request comes at a time when the American people are expressing serious reservations about the President’s go-it-alone occupation of Iraq. The American people are asking questions about the reconstruction plan. The Committee has before it … Continue reading “A Nation With Questions”

Last fall, the White House released a national security strategy that called for an end to the doctrines of deterrence and containment that have been a hallmark of American foreign policy for more than half a century. This new national security strategy is based upon pre-emptive war against those who might threaten our security. Such … Continue reading “The Road to Coverup Is the Road to Ruin”

With each passing day, the questions surrounding Iraq’s missing weapons of mass destruction take on added urgency. Where are the massive stockpiles of VX, mustard, and other nerve agents that we were told Iraq was hoarding? Where are the thousands of liters of botulinim toxin? Wasn’t it the looming threat to America posed by these … Continue reading “Iraq’s WMD Intelligence: Where Is the Outrage?”

Truth has a way of asserting itself despite all attempts to obscure it. Distortion only serves to derail it for a time. No matter to what lengths we humans may go to obfuscate facts or delude our fellows, truth has a way of squeezing out through the cracks, eventually. But the danger is that at … Continue reading “The Truth Will Emerge”

I believe in this beautiful country. I have studied its roots and gloried in the wisdom of its magnificent Constitution. I have marveled at the wisdom of its founders and framers. Generation after generation of Americans has understood the lofty ideals that underlie our great Republic. I have been inspired by the story of their … Continue reading “The Arrogance of Power”

On Tuesday, the Senate voted 90-9 to approve the landmark Homeland Security bill. What follows is the full transcript of Sen. Byrd’s remarks during the conclusion of the Homeland Security debate. We have come to the end of a long, long road. For nearly five months this chamber has engaged in discussions about homeland security. … Continue reading “‘An Irresponsible Exercise in Political Chicanery’”