Speak for yourself, K, and preferably, in better taste in the future.
Yes, he was practically the 'Prince of Pork' - but the things he directed here to WV, the roads and federal facilities and other infrastructure, would still have existed, still have been 'wasted', but would have gone to places where there were already schools, roads, jobs, rather than bolstering a suffering backwater. That people aren't willing to admit that that kind of investment is a good idea for their country when they, personally, aren't the ones getting the handout means that getting enough to build up any given section of the nation, any given state, means that there's always going to be a struggle to acquire access to that support even before the admittedly inevitable greed factor. Byrd's seniority and influence are, I think, much to credit for things being as well off here as they are.
As a United States Senator, Byrd had a responsibility to work for the overall good of the nation - and I think that, overall, he did.
As a Senator for West Virginia, he also had an equal responsibility to work for the overall good of the state, and his work in that respect is beyond challenge.
And if he wasn't perfect in his judgment or motivations, then, me, I don't care. Pure saints make crappy politicians, and worse statesmen, and anyway only fool would count on finding them in the first place.
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"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."
Yes, he was practically the 'Prince of Pork' - but the things he directed here to WV, the roads and federal facilities and other infrastructure, would still have existed, still have been 'wasted', but would have gone to places where there were already schools, roads, jobs, rather than bolstering a suffering backwater. That people aren't willing to admit that that kind of investment is a good idea for their country when they, personally, aren't the ones getting the handout means that getting enough to build up any given section of the nation, any given state, means that there's always going to be a struggle to acquire access to that support even before the admittedly inevitable greed factor. Byrd's seniority and influence are, I think, much to credit for things being as well off here as they are.
As a United States Senator, Byrd had a responsibility to work for the overall good of the nation - and I think that, overall, he did.
As a Senator for West Virginia, he also had an equal responsibility to work for the overall good of the state, and his work in that respect is beyond challenge.
And if he wasn't perfect in his judgment or motivations, then, me, I don't care. Pure saints make crappy politicians, and worse statesmen, and anyway only fool would count on finding them in the first place.
===========
===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."