 | The Cavalier daily Friday, February 9, 1973 |  |
Follows Neutral Policies
Looking closer, his
evaluation seems correct. As a
"good" friend of President
Nixon's, Byrd has sided
with the Administration in
recent years more often than
not, yet he has diplomatically
swayed neither too far to the
political left nor right to
endanger his ever-increasing
popularity.
His hard-nosed
law-and-order emphasis has
placed him often in agreement
with the Executive Branch. He
has supported Nixon's.
economic, law-and-order and
Vietnam policies, and has
shown "consideration" for the
Supreme Court Understandably
the Republican National
Committee conveniently failed to
allot any campaign funds to his
opponent in 1970.
The senator's record since
1967 shows that he has voted
with the President more often
than most of his fellow Senate
democrats. In 1971 he sided
with Nixon on 55 percent
of the Senate's votes; in
1969-70, 52 per cent; and in
1967-68, 57 per cent of the
time. Byrd, however,
denies any partiality to a
particular side.
"I have been a good friend
of all the Presidents under
whom I have served, and they
number five," he explained. "I
vote on the basis of the
question which is before the
Senate, not necessarily with
the majority, not necessarily
with the President, but by
judging the issue on the basis
of the facts and then voting in
accordance with what I believe
to be in the best interests of
the country, number one, my
state and its people, and then
the party."
| The Cavalier daily Friday, February 9, 1973 | |