Midweek Time Killers: Three Politicians Who Wouldn't Go Away

What do a former Klan member, a man who wears toupees worthy of induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and a man with a master's degree in chemistry have in common? They all have political constituencies that unconditionally love them.

With the passing of Ted Kennedy, West Virginia governer Joe Manchin is considering how he'll choose the successor to the ol' Exalted Cyclops himself, Senator Robert Byrd. I'd think the first step would be to choose someone who hadn't been in the Ku Klux Klan. According to this article, Byrd made only two of 56 roll call votes in the months of July and August.

Meanwhile, former congressman Jim Traficant was recently released from prison. This Washington Post article tells all about his welcome home rally. If talking about passing gas is a qualification for being a member of Congress, maybe I should run. Then again, I don't need a toupee...yet.

Finally, how could I let this post wrap up without including some reading on Da Mayor for Life, Marion Barry. By now, everyone has heard about Barry's recent problems with one of his lady friends. But, this Washington City Paper piece from mid-July details some of Barry's other exploits with city funds. Oh yeah, Barry really does have a master's degree in chemistry. Insert your own joke here. (I recently watched the HBO documentary The Nine Lives of Marion Barry. I hope to have a post on the film sometime in the near future.)