Oh, shit. I had PARAGRAPHS typed out, and accidentally deleted them. Lemme see what I can do about recreating them:

1) I've been EXHAUSTED lately. Between the ungodly heat and just finishing my 5th week of 6-day, 50+ hours at the day job, I barely have time or energy to do any posting at Wizbang.

2) I'm not a Republican, so I feel no great compunction to defend anyone solely on the basis of their party affiliation.

3) I didn't answer your questions because you didn't ASK any. Go and look -- not a single frigging question there.

But if you insist, I'll tackle a couple of them.

A) Strom Thurmond joined the Republican Party in 1964, when he quit the Democrats in protest over President Johnson's backing of the Civil Rights Act. Up until that point, he was a staunch Democrat -- and was a proud leader of the fight against the earlier Civil Rights Act (passed by Republicans), a segregationist, and a bigot. And he was a proud Democrat when he fathered that girl.

B) Trent Lott was saying kind things to a 100-year-old man who would be dead soon. If you could find prior evidence of his racist, segregationist tendencies, I'd give them more credit. Otherwise, I'll chalk it up to "oh, what the hell, give the old coot a little something to be happy about before he finally kicks the bucket."

C) James Hart? Wasn't he the guy from "The Paper Chase?"

Seriously, never heard of him. Sounds like a bit of an asshole. But I notice your source is the hosts of "Democratic Talk Radio" -- hardly a neutral observer on the matter. I also notice a rather striking lack of specifics about just how his racism has manifested itself -- it seems to boil down to "he's racist because we say he is."

In fact, if you go through to the newspaper article they refer to, the Tennessee GOP says they've already done everything the Democrats are demanding, and did it before they opened their yaps -- and cited examples.

D) Dick Cheney? Let me cite you a personal example that might seem relevant.

When I was around 20 or so, I, too, opposed the divestment movement towards South Africa. I thought it would cost us any leverage we might have in bringing about change, and would hurt the blacks more than the whites who held power. I thought more carrots to go along with the stick was the best approach.

I was wrong, and I admitted it. And when I did admit it, I got ripped for it (http://wizbangblog.com/archives/002454.php).

This obsession with "apologies" is a shallow tactic. When one side makes a mistake, the other side leaps all over it, demanding that the offender "admit" their mistake and "apologize" to everyone in earshot. They want them to grovel and beg forgiveness from the whole world.

And once they get that, the fun REALLY begins. "So, what took you so long to admit you were wrong?" "That wasn't a REAL apology." "Where else have you been mistaken/lied to us?" "How do you think you can atone for your mistake?"

In a civilized world, an apology is a band-aid -- a little bandage used to help heal a slight injury. But in modern politics, it's become an admission of weakness. It's a club that is used to beat the one offering it over the head, and to be used over and over and over at every opportunity, to utterly cripple the offending party by forcing him to endlessly re-live the past and never being allowed to get past it. I hate to say it, but I think Cheney would be foolish to apologize for anything.

OK, I think I've said enough for now. But here's a little hint, David -- in the future, if you want people to answer questions, you might try ASKING them first. And if your keyboard's broken, here are a bunch of question marks you can save, then cut and paste as needed in the future.

??????????????????????????????????????????

J.

Nice try Jay.

You made a big point of Robert Byrds affiliation with the Klan 50 years ago, but use Thurmonds membership in the Democratic Party of 50 years ago to say he was a Democrat then? What is your point? (That was a question).

You obviously skipped over the parts about Lotts relationship with the so called Council for Conservative Citizens, an organization that several Southern Republicans have been involved with, including Bob Barr. (Seen their website lately?) That too is a question.

You must really be tired... Becuase you did not read the Hart article either. Denouncing Hart on the part of the local GOP is not the issue. The issue was and is, that throwing stones at Byrd when there is ample evidence of Conservatives being involved in racial politics is hypocrisy.

On Cheney... There are numerous examples on the Record that he was willing to overlook Apartied and even Saddam when it came to business.

And you have not addressed the other points made in the post.

Oh, and no matter how you slice it, Thurmond was a racist rapist.

Crap, I KNEW there were some things I didn't re-create from the first draft.

1) I made a big point of Byrd's affiliation with the Klan for two reasons: 1) it wasn't just an "affiliation," the man FOUNDED a chapter, recruited hundreds, and was a MAJOR LEADER in the Klan. Now, with his autobiography, he's attempting to "white-wash" (if you'll pardon the expression) his leadership in America's very first home-grown terrorist organization. I don't want an apology from the man, but a blanket denunciation of the Klan would do wonders towards pacifying me.

B) No argument, Thurmond was a swine. And Lott should not have let the collegial atmosphere of the Senate and his compassion for an old, dying man let his mouth run away from him. But his offense was a sin of misplaced kindness, not of malice.

C) I'm a New Englander who's a registered independent. Most southerners seem a little odd to me, regardless of party affiliation. And I've yet to see anything that has both the magnitude of Byrd's past, let alone its present relevance -- he's a .

I'm no Republican, so you're not going to get me to give the party line on them. If you wanna go there, I'll ask you to defend Moveon.org, Nancy Pelosi, Dennis Kucinich, Michael Moore, and a bunch of the other people quoted here (http://www.patrickruffini.com/archives/2005/06/shifting_the_go.php).

Enough's enough?

J.

If you say so, but I would say you have skirted the issues. Lott did not just make an off the wall comment about a "dying man." He has spoken at CCC meetings and if you look at their web site, they are a hate group. So have a number of other "Conservative Politicians." My point is simple. If you are going to constantly harrangue one "old man," for what he did, you should be willing to acknowledge that Many Conservative Politicians have made racial politics part and parcel of their strategy for years. And unless you can show me where Byrd has been implicated in any violent or illegal Klan activity himself, then he is no more or less guilty than them.

As for Ruffini, well written garbage, defending the undefendable on one hand, while admitting that a handfull of liberals wanted justed after 9/11. You have made it a point that your health prevents you from Serving in the Military. What is Patricks excuse? No I am not asking you to speak for him, I am just pointing out that his bb gun is even shorter than yours.
I make no secret that I think the War in Iraq was a grave miscarriage of justice, not to Saddam and his ilke, but to every American who had died or been crippled in that conflict. Little boys like Patrick who use Google as their sword do not impress me. What would impress me is if he signed up and went to fight in the war he "supports," so strongly. Until he does, he is nothing more than another of those Yellow, pissing Elephants you took such offense to, despite the fact that you are NOT REPUBLICAN, Right?

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