Robert C. Byrd, the senior Senator from West Virginia, died today at the age of 92. Byrd was the longest-serving member of Congress in United States history.
Senator Byrd's Official Senate homepage
Statement of the President on the passing of Senator Byrd
Senator Byrd's entry in Wikipedia
I grew up with Robert Byrd's fiddle and speeches. His name is peppered throughout West Virginia. He generously (some might say greedily) helped one of the poorest states in the country with federal dollars.
ReplyDeleteByrd was a product of his times and ideologies, initally racist to the core, then, as he became wiser, a leader for social programs.
I grieve his passing much because I worry about my home state. Travel to McDowell, Logan, or Wyoming County -- see what I mean.
Olivia