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Date published: 3/15/2010
Editorials misstated Byrd's position
After the March 10 editorial ("Full speed ahead") favoring our for-profit health care rationing system over universal care, a postscript was added to further misrepresent West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd's opinion on reconciliation and to humorously float a book idea called "Profiles in Pettifogging." Free Lance-Star readers were previously misinformed about reconciliation when reading the March 4 editorial "A wall breached," which implied that Sen. Byrd was against using reconciliation to finalize health care reform legislation. In a March 4 letter to the Charleston (W.Va.) Daily Mail, Sen. Byrd was succinct. Honesty demands a careful reading and accurate representation of Byrd's letter. The senator explains that the Senate health care bill never was and never will be considered "in its entirety" under reconciliation rules. That's because it was already considered and passed under regular rules with a 60-vote majority, an element of Byrd's explanation curiously omitted in the March 10 postscript. Rather than a book called "Profiles in Pettifogging," a better seller might be "Profiles in Prevarication" with the March 10 "Postscript" the subject of Chapter 1. John LeFebre Spotsylvania The writer is a member of the Spotsylvania County Democratic Committee.
Byrd's statement that the Senate passed the health care bill by regular rules with a 60 vote majority is important. His point was that the health care bill would NOT be passed by reconciliation, as Republicans are claiming, because it was already passed under regular rules. Only changes related to budgeting would be considered under reconciliation. By leaving that statement out, the editor gave the impression Byrd would agree the Republican claim has merit. Straight enough?
what a bigoted former klansman thinks anyway. it's truly amazing that West Virginians have repeatedly voted him in all these years.
because Sen Byrd is opposed to using reconciliation for anything other than budget bills
a little straight talk from dems would be appreciated
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