Byrd's evolution on matters of race mirrors a nation maturing

The life of Senator Robert Byrd is a testament to how much we can all change in our lifetimes. Once a Ku Klux Klansman, Byrd spent more time apologizing for that episode of his life than he ever actually spent with the Klan.

Like many young white men of his generation in the 1940s he grew up when the Klan actually meant something. In small towns across the nation, and not just in the South, all the local political elite were members of the Klan. If you wanted to be something, you joined in. Even noted Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black was in the Klan in his native Alabama. That’s not to defend Byrd’s decision to join. The Klan was a hateful organization to its core, but in some places it was the only game in town.

Read the rest at The Loop.

The Arc of a Man's Life - Senator Robert Byrd Passes Away at 92

West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd dead at 92
By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer Andrew Taylor, Associated Press Writer – Mon Jun 28, 6:02 am ET

WASHINGTON – Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, a fiery orator versed in the classics and a hard-charging power broker who steered billions of federal dollars to the state of his Depression-era upbringing, died Monday. He was 92.

A spokesman for the family, Jesse Jacobs, said Byrd died peacefully at about 3 a.m. at Inova Hospital in Fairfax, Va. He had been in the hospital since late last week.

At first Byrd was believed to be suffering from heat exhaustion and severe dehydration, but other medical conditions developed. He had been in frail health for several years.

Byrd, a Democrat, was the longest-serving senator in history, holding his seat for more than 50 years. He was the Senate's majority leader for six of those years and was third in the line of succession to the presidency, behind House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a fellow West Virginian in the Senate, said it was his "greatest privilege" to serve with Byrd.

"I looked up to him, I fought next to him, and I am deeply saddened that he is gone," Rockefeller said.

In comportment and style, Byrd often seemed a Senate throwback to a courtlier 19th century. He could recite poetry, quote the Bible, discuss the Constitutional Convention and detail the Peloponnesian Wars — and frequently did in Senate debates.

Yet there was nothing particularly courtly about Byrd's pursuit or exercise of power.

Byrd was a master of the Senate's bewildering rules and longtime chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which controls a third of the $3 trillion federal budget. He was willing to use both to reward friends and punish those he viewed as having slighted him.

"Bob is a living encyclopedia, and legislative graveyards are filled with the bones of those who underestimated him," former House Speaker Jim Wright, D-Texas, once said in remarks Byrd later displayed in his office.

Rest of obituary at link above.

The President Comments on Byrd:

President Barack Obama says the country has lost a voice of principle and reason with the passing of Sen. Robert C. Byrd.

In a statement, Obama says Byrd had a profound passion for the Senate, and held the deepest respect for members of both parties. Obama says that as a young senator, he appreciated Byrd’s generosity with his time and advice.

He said that Byrd, in his words, was “as much a part of the Senate as the marble busts that line its chambers and corridors.”

Speaking earlier in the day at an event in Louisville, Ky., Vice President Joe Biden remembered Byrd as a tough, compassionate leader and said the Senate “is a lesser place for his going.”

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The Supreme Court Says the 2nd Amendment Applies to All Citizens

High Court Rules in Favor of Gun Rights
By NATHAN KOPPEL

WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court ruled for the first time that gun possession is fundamental to American freedom, giving federal judges power to strike down state and local weapons laws for violating the Second Amendment.

In a 5-4 ruling, the court held that the Second Amendment's right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right that binds states.
"Self defense is a basic right, recognized by many legal systems from ancient times to the present day," wrote Justice Samuel Alito. He was joined in reaching the result by Chief Justice John Roberts and justices Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.

The legal question before the court had much to do with questions of constitutional history. Before the Civil War, courts held that the Bill of Rights applied only to the federal government. After the Union victory, the Reconstruction amendments were adopted to elevate individual rights over state powers and cement the federal role in enforcing them.

I think I'm to the right of the rest of the bloggers here on this issue, but I agree with this ruling completely.

The only people in America, that cannot legally obtain firearms, are law abiding urban dwellers like me.

Suburban folks have them.
Rural folks have them.
The criminals that run rampant in urban areas CERTAINLY have them - the gun restriction laws have never slowed THEM down.

I'm not saying that I will run out and purchase a gun. The point for me was, if I wanted to, I should be able to, as a law abiding citizen of this country.

Coming to an urban area near you: the Crispus Attucks Gun Club.

The President's Remarks on Wall Street Reform

hat tip-W.E.E. See You

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Lots of Charts

I've updated my Charts page. It's good stuff, if, you know, you're into that sort of thing. My favorite one is the first one showing how much Texas leads the nation in executions.

The President's Remarks on the Resignation of McChrystal

Tim Scott's South Carolina win is a loss for African Americans

The mainstream media portrays Paul Thurmond as the loser in last night’s Republican primary for South Carolina’s first congressional district, but that’s all wrong. The real losers are African Americans.

After Tim Scott’s victory, Republicans will treat us with a steady diet of “look how diverse we are.” One black face in a sea of white Republicanism doesn’t equal diversity, it’s more like a rounding error.

Read the rest at The Loop.

Either the President is the Commander-In-Chief, or he is not

hat tip-SouthernGirl2

From Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON — The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan was fighting for his job Tuesday after being summoned to Washington to explain a magazine profile that included derogatory comments about President Barack Obama and his colleagues.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Gen. Stanley McChrystal's comments were "distractions" to the war in Afghanistan.

McChrystal, who publicly apologized Tuesday for using "poor judgment" in an interview in Rolling Stone magazine, has been ordered to appear at the White House Wednesday, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

He'll be expected to explain his comments in the magazine's profile, titled "The Runaway General," to the president and top Pentagon officials, officials said.

A top military official in Afghanistan told The Associated Press that McChrystal hasn't been told whether he will be allowed to keep his job. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions between Washington and the general's office in Kabul.

McChrystal spent Tuesday calling several of those mentioned in the article to apologize, officials said, including Gates and Richard Holbrooke, U.S. special envoy to Pakistan.

Gates issued a statement saying McChrystal made "a significant mistake" and used poor judgment in his remarks to a magazine reporter.

He can apologize until Jesus returns.

McChrystal needs to go.

Read more »

Chart: Number Executed In Texas

Digging through the archives I found this chart I made two years ago for my classes. I could update it through 2010, but it would just show a longer line for Texas.