I saw a book the other day at the bookstore called “The Last Great Senator” It was about the late Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia. I lived in West Virginia a good portion of my life. I teach in West Virginia. I did not necessarily agree with Robert Byrd on a lot of issues but after thinking about it for a little while maybe Byrd was the ‘last great senator.” Ted Kennedy was another one. I was not a Ted Kennedy fan but he accomplished more than his brothers did in their lives.[to be fair he outlived them by decades} Again, not that I necessarily agree with some of the things he did but he had accomplishments.

Byrd was born on this day in 1917. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1959. He was a senator until he died in June of 2010 at the age of 92. If he were living he’d still be in the U.S. Senate. He is the longest serving member of congress in American history.

I remember back in the mid 1970’s he ran for President for about 5ive minutes. When it came out that as a young man he was a member of the KKK that kind of  ended those dreams. I don’t think he would have been a great POTUS but hey we ended up with Jimmy Carter. Anyone would have been better than that national nightmare.

Byrd was a guy who rose to power in the senate not because he was well liked or because he was a great orator or any other reason other than he was an extremely hard worker. He wasn’t a show horse he was a work horse. He was willing to do the work that no one else wanted to do. He knew the rules of the U.S. Senate inside and out. He was from another time. A time when there were giants in the senate. I think if those guys from the 1950’s and 1960’s would look at the quality of the senate and congress today they would be shocked and horrified. What a bunch of hacks and third rate yoyo’s we have today. There was a time when I could name every senator from every state and give you a fairly detailed bio on each man/woman. Now I am lucky to know my own two senators.

Byrd as he rose in power was able to get a lot of money/projects into West Virginia. West Virginia needs all the help they can get. Of course the Byrd was of doing things was- I will get you the money for your project but you have to name the hospital/highway/ building after .. him. I wish I had a dime for everything in West Virginia that carries his name. I don’t agree with that way of doing things. Anyhow.

Another thing I disagree with is the career politician idea. He was there far too long. At the end he seemed to me to be out of place and a grumpy old man. I think we need to get to the point where you serve a term or two at the most and then you go home. Byrd sadly didn’t have anything else he wanted to do in his life.