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Robert Byrd

Robert Byrd Quotes

Former United States Senator

Robert Byrd was a former United States Senator, born on November 20, 1917, and passed away on June 28, 2010. He was a prominent figure in American politics, known for his long political career and contributions to national policy.

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Famous Robert Byrd Quotes

“There is no doubt that constitutional freedoms will never be abolished in one fell swoop, for the American people cherish their freedoms, and would not tolerate such a loss if they could perceive it. But the erosion of freedom rarely comes as an all-out frontal assault but rather as a gradual, noxious creeping, cloaked in secrecy, and glossed over by reassurances of greater security.”

People Ifs Loss Doubt Greater Security Perceive No Doubt Cherish Tolerate Assault Secrecy Reassurance Erosion

Author:Robert Byrd

“To engage in war is always to pick a wild card. And war must always be a last resort, not a first choice. I truly must question the judgment of any president who can say that a massive unprovoked military attack on a nation which is over 50 percent children is ‘in the highest moral traditions of our country.'”

Firsts Children War Country Lasts Choices Nations Peace President Moral Military Judgment Highest Picks Percent Tradition Cards Our Country Fifty Massive Resorts

Author:Robert Byrd

“If the voters really understood what we were up to they'd vote us out of office.”

Ifs Political Politics Term Office Understood Vote Voters Term Limits

Author:Robert Byrd

“There is ample evidence that the horrific events of Sept. 11 have been carefully manipulated to switch public focus from Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaeda, who masterminded the Sept. 11th attacks, to Saddam Hussein, who did not.”

Has Beens Focus Events Evidence Als Saddam Hussein Bin Laden Al Qaeda Osama Bin Laden Horrific Sept 11

Author:Robert Byrd

“Saddam Hussein is a threat, but the threat is not so great that we must be stampeded to provide such authority to this president just weeks before an election.”

President Week Authority Election Threat Saddam Hussein

Author:Robert Byrd

“Today I weep for my country. No more is the image of America one of strong, yet benevolent peacekeeper. ... Around the globe, our friends mistrust us, our word is disputed, our intentions are questioned. We flaunt our superpower status with arrogance....After war has ended the United States will have to rebuild much more than the country of Iraq. We will have to rebuild America's image around the globe.”

War Country States Today America Strong United United States Intention Iraq Arrogance Globes Superpower Mistrust Benevolent Our Words Peacekeepers

Author:Robert Byrd

“He (Pres. Bush) rightly decided that it was far better to return all Haitians than to encourage, deliberately or not, tens of thousands of people to take to the open ocean in unseaworthy, overcrowded boats.... When the Haitians sense the door has been cracked open, they will once again prepare their rag-tag armada and set sail for the land of plenty - America.”

People Has Beens America Doors Land Return Ocean Decided Immigration Boat Plenty Sail Cracked Rags Tag

Author:Robert Byrd

“One's family is the most important thing in life. I look at it this way: One of these days I'll be over in a hospital somewhere with four walls around me. And the only people who'll be with me will be my family.”

People Way Looks Important Family Four Wall My Family Important Things These Days Hospitals Things In Life About Family Most Important Things In Life Inspirational Family Love Best Family Four Walls Importance Of Family

Author:Robert Byrd

“Hitler never abandoned the cloak of legality; he recognized the enormous psychological value of having the law on his side. Instead, he turned the law inside out and made illegality legal.”

Made Law Values Sides Enormous Psychological Abandoned Cloaks Legality

Book:Letter to a New President: Commonsense Lessons for Our Next Leader

Source: Letter to a New President: Commonsense Lessons for Our Next Leader

“To the American people I say, awaken to what is happening. It is the duty of each citizen to be vigilant, to protect liberty, to speak out, left and right and disagree lest be trampled underfoot by misguided zealotry and extreme partisanship.”

People Left Speak Liberty Duty Citizens Protect Happenings Extremes Awakening Disagree Speaks Out Misguided Vigilant Partisanship Left And Right Zealotry

Author:Robert Byrd

“We, unlike Nazi Germany or Mussolini's Italy, have never stopped being a nation of laws, not of men. But witness how men with motives and a majority can manipulate law to cruel and unjust ends.”

Men Ends Law Nations Majority Witness Motive Germany Nazi Unjust Manipulate Nazi Germany

Book:Letter to a New President: Commonsense Lessons for Our Next Leader

Source: Letter to a New President: Commonsense Lessons for Our Next Leader

“It is money, money, money! Not ideas, not principles, but money that reigns supreme in American politics.”

Ideas Money Principles Supreme Reign American Politics Saving Money

Author:Robert Byrd

“Mission accomplished? The mission in Iraq, as laid out by President Bush and Vice President Cheney, has failed.”

President Iraq Vices Missions Accomplished President Bush Vice President Mission Accomplished

Author:Robert Byrd

“Our ideals of freedom, set forth and realized in our Constitution, are our greatest export to the world.”

World Ideals Constitution

Author:Robert Byrd

“The ongoing strife in Iraq, and the billions of dollars that the President is seeking to continue that war, give me little comfort that this Administration has learned from its mistakes in Iraq.”

Giving Littles War President Mistake Comfort Give Me Dollars Iraq Seeking Billions Administration Strife Ongoing

Author:Robert Byrd

“This war is not necessary. We are truly sleepwalking through history.”

War Peace Anti War Antiwar Sleepwalking

Author:Robert Byrd

“Congress is not an ATM.”

Congress Aggravation Atm

Author:Robert Byrd

“Do not run a campaign that would embarrass your mother.”

Running Mother Campaigns

Author:Robert Byrd

“Can it be that we, too, are ready to embrace the foul concepts of atheism? Somebody is tampering with America's soul, I leave it to you who that somebody is.”

Soul America Atheism Ready Concepts Embrace Scary Foul

Author:Robert Byrd

“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.”

“I am a former Kleagie of the Klu Klux Klan in Raleigh County and adjoining counties of the state, having been appainted to this office [by] Mr. J. L. Baskin of Arlington, Virginia, in 1942... It is necessary that the order be promoted immediately and in every state in the union.”

States Today Order Needed Unions West Democrat Former Anxious Rebirth Democratic Party County Virginia Ku Klux Klan West Virginia Raleigh

Author:Robert Byrd

“It is the Constitution of the United States that has been undermined, undercut, and is under attack. It is the American people's liberties that is in jeopardy. That is why I wrote 'Losing America.'”

People Has Beens States America United Liberty United States Losing Constitution Jeopardy Constitution Of The United States Undercut

Author:Robert Byrd

“My old mom told me, 'Robert, you can't go to heaven if you hate anybody.' We practice that. There are white niggers. I've seen a lot of white niggers in my time. I'm going to use that word. We just need to work together to make our country a better country, and I'd just as soon quit talking about it so much.”

Ifs Needs Country Use Together Hate Heaven White Talking Practice Mom Quitting Our Country My Time Working Together

Author:Robert Byrd

“The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons.”

“To contemplate war is to think about the most horrible of human experiences.”

Thinking Humans War Horrible Contemplating Human Experience

Author:Robert Byrd

“That's what the Senate is about. It's the last bastion of minority rights, where a minority can be heard, where a minority can stand on its feet, one individual if necessary, and speak until he falls into the dust”

Ifs Lasts Fall Individual Speak Rights Heard Feet Dust Minorities Senate

Author:Robert Byrd

“The money the president wants to borrow for Iraq will come directly out of the American taxpayer wallets in the form of Medicare and Social Security receipts. That's your money”

Want Form Social President Security Iraq Social Security Taxpayers Medicare Wallets Receipts

Author:Robert Byrd

“Is it any wonder, why the approval ratings of the Congress go up every time we go into recess?”

Wonder Appreciate Congress Approval Rating Aggravation Recess Approval Rating

Author:Robert Byrd

“I have never seen such extreme partisanship, such bitter partisanship, and such forgetfulness of the fate of our fathers and of the Constitution.”

Father Fate Constitution Extremes Bitter Bitterness Our Father Forgetfulness Partisanship

Author:Robert Byrd

“It was the separation of powers upon which the framers placed their hopes for the preservation of the people's liberties. Despite this heritage, the congress has been in too many cases more than willing to walk away from its constitutional powers.”

People Has Beens Walks Liberty Cases Willing Congress Separation Despite Heritage Preservation Separation Of Powers Framers

Author:Robert Byrd

“Be sure you avoid the Ku Klux Klan. Don't get that albatross around your neck. Once you've made that mistake, you inhibit your operations in the political arena.”

Made Political Mistake Operations Necks Arena Ku Klux Klan Albatross

Author:Robert Byrd

“America’s true power lies not in its will to dominate but in its ability to inspire.”

America Lying Ability Inspire True Power

Author:Robert Byrd

“Political correctness gets in the way of all too many things in this country of ours, I am not a subscriber of political correctness by any means, shape or form.”

Way Mean Country Form Political Politics Shapes Political Correctness Correctness

Author:Robert Byrd

About the Author

Born: November 20, 1917
Died: June 28, 2010
Known for: Former United States Senator
Quotes: 33

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Letter to a New President: Commonsense Lessons for Our Next LeaderRelated source material

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