A Tribute to Sen. Robert C. Byrd

Today as I was driving in my car, I turned my radio to NPR. A few minutes into the program, I heard Sen. Jay Rockefeller(D-WV) speaking warmly about his colleague, Sen. Robert Byrd(D-WV); the previous night, I saw that Byrd's office had released a statement saying that Sen. Byrd was "seriously ill." Naturally, I as soon as I heard Rockefeller reminiscencing about about his fellow Senator, I thought "No! Byrd is gone!" As an NPR anchor confirmed moments later, Senator Byrd had indeed passed on.
I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the senatorial giant that was Robert Carlyle Byrd. In many ways, Byrd was the epitome of the twentieth century Democratic party; a lifelong Democrat, Byrd stuck with his party as it transitioned from social conservatism to social and economic liberalism. More significantly, the life of Byrd is one that can only be described as fundamentally American.
Born in North Carolina, Byrd was born Cornelius Calvin Sale Jr. Before his first birthday, Cornelius' mother died in the 1918 flu pandemic; Cornelius was subsequently adopted by his uncle and aunt who lived in West Virginia. Sale was then renamed Robert Carlyle Byrd. Robert excelled in school at both the academic and personal levels, as he was valedictorian of his high school class and married his high school sweetheart, Erma, while they were both 19.
The years after high school would shape many of Byrd's political views. Byrd joined the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. An impressive orator, he quickly rose to the top of the organization to become a Grand Dragon. Ironically, while Byrd later regretted his affiliation with the Klan, he noted during that his experience there, he was able to acquire leadership traits that would serve him well in the Senate. Byrd later noted that joining the Klan was the "biggest mistake of his life".
Byrd ran successfully for the House in 1952 and six years later Byrd was elected to the Senate with a comfortable 59% percent of the vote. Despite the gradual evolution of Byrd's political views, he was always reelected in landslides; as it was rare for Byrd to be reelected with anything less than 2/3 of the popular vote.
Byrd started life in the Senate as a typical southern Democrat who took a strict Constitutionalist outlook while supporting states rights. A solid proponent of segregation and states rights, Byrd filibustered and ultimately voted against the 1964 Civil Rights acts for over 11 hours. This vote was seen as out of step with his party, opposition to this act was divided primary among regional lines and the northern, more progressive wing of the Democratic party was growing. Despite this vote, Byrd was promoted to the post of Senate Majority Whip in 1971. Because of this appointment, it seemed almost necessary that his views become more liberal and thus more mainstream.
During the Reagan Revolution of the early 1980's Byrd was regarded as a formidable Democratic counterweight to the Republicans. Regarded as a venerable Senatorial historian and expert, using his intellectual prowess to influence the course of legislation. According to some sources, "Byrd frustrated Republicans with his encyclopedic knowledge of the inner workings of the Senate. From 1977 to 1979 he was described as performing a procedural tap dance around the minority, outmaneuvering Republicans with his mastery of the Senate's arcane rules." In time, Byrd became the fiscal and ideological conscience of his party; he was somewhat of a wise 'Yoda' figure.
Byrd served as Majority Leader from 1977-1981 and then from 1987-1989. After leading his party, he chose to chair the Senate Appropriations Committee; as chairman, he steered millions towards his otherwise poor state.
In his later years, Byrd served as a leading Democratic voice in the Senate and was known as the Senatorial authority on the Constitution. As a history buff, Byrd would often draw parallels between the US Senate and that of Ancient Rome.
In 2003 Byrd emerged as a vocal critic of the Iraq War, as he and his close friend, Sen. Ted Kennedy would later tote their votes against the Iraq War as among the proudest of their careers. Byrd pointed out that the reckless Bush Administration had overturned hundreds of years of precedent with the invasion of Iraq. He stated that the USA was always the defender in wars, never the initiator. However, with the Iraq war, the USA had become the very thing Byrd feared: the aggressor; with the 2003 invasion, Byrd "wept for his country."
In many ways, Byrd's 60 years of public service, and by extension, his life, can be seen as a study in contrast. The evolution of Byrd's views are a testament to the ever-changing dynamics of American political and social trends. Through Byrd's service, the changing platform of Democratic party was borne out. Originally a Dixicrat, if Byrd were starting over again, he would almost certainly be running as a Republican, as the Republican platform of today would be a better match for the states-rights, racist, and segregationist policies of the Dixicrats than that of the current Democratic Party. The transition of the Democratic Party's platform from conservatism to liberalism was essentially displayed through the shifting ideological attitudes of Senator Byrd.


Today, the American people have lost a great champion and the citizens of West Virginia have lost their great political patriarch. Senator Byrd was a political giant, yet he never lost touch with his humble, rural roots. Perhaps the most moving uniquely American aspect of Byrd's life is that the foster child of a miner in Appalachian coalfields grew up to walk with kings and queens, and to stand equal with presidents and prime ministers. Byrd's perspectives and attitudes transcended left-right politics and petty partisanship. Instead, Byrd was propelled by the simple duty to serve the people of West Virginia; his beliefs and sense of obligation to his constituents was embodied in his 'can-do' spirit. Perhaps no man has loved a state as much as Byrd loved West Virginia. For now let it be said that the politicians and citizens of America today had the privilege of living and serving in the age of the great Robert Byrd.

RIP and God Bless Robert C. Byrd (1917-2010). He now serves in the Senate of Angels with his friend Ted Kennedy.