Robert Byrd, Senate Icon, Dead at 92

He always carried a copy of the Constitution in his pocket and frequently referred to it in his speeches on the floor of the Senate. Robert Byrd, the longest serving member of Congress in US history has died at age 92. The conservative Democrat from West Virginia had been hospitalized for about a week prior to his death.

He was elected to the Senate in 1958 and reelected nine times, a record for any Senator. His work for the citizens of West Virginia was often seen as "pork barrel politics" but it won him praise from his constituents.

As a young man he once was "Exalted Cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan" but in later life his views moderated. He supported the Martin Luther King holiday and endorsed President Barack Obama.

His achievements included a scholarly history of the US Senate as well as numerous laws.

I best remember him as standing on the floor of the Senate and vehemently opposing the Iraq war. His words still haunt many in Washington:

I believe in this beautiful country. I have studied its roots and gloried in the wisdom of its magnificent Constitution. I have marveled at the wisdom of its founders and framers. Generation after generation of Americans has understood the lofty ideals that underlie our great Republic. I have been inspired by the story of their sacrifice and their strength.


But, today I weep for my country. I have watched the events of recent months with a heavy, heavy heart. No more is the image of America one of strong, yet benevolent peacekeeper. The image of America has changed. Around the globe, our friends mistrust us, our word is disputed, our intentions are questioned.


Instead of reasoning with those with whom we disagree, we demand obedience or threaten recrimination. Instead of isolating Saddam Hussein, we seem to have isolated ourselves. We proclaim a new doctrine of preemption which is understood by few and feared by many. We say that the United States has the right to turn its firepower on any corner of the globe which might be suspect in the war on terrorism. We assert that right without the sanction of any international body. As a result, the world has become a much more dangerous place.