Democratic sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose confidential conversations, said Manchin has told associates in the past he was interested in the seat. The governor issued a statement Monday saying Byrd "was a fearless fighter for the Constitution, his beloved state and its great people. In comportment and style, Byrd often seemed a Senate throwback to a courtlier 19th century.
He could recite poetry, quote the Bible, discuss the Constitutional Convention and detail the Peloponnesian Wars — and frequently did in Senate debates.
He was willing to use both to reward friends and punish those he viewed as having slighted him. In , Byrd ousted Sen. Edward Kennedy, the Massachusetts senator, as the Democrats' second in command. He was elected majority leader in and held the post until Democrats lost control of the Senate four years later. He remained his party's leader through six years in the minority, then spent another two years as majority leader. Byrd stepped aside as majority leader in when Democrats sought a more contemporary television spokesman.
In and with 64 percent of the vote, Byrd won an unprecedented ninth term in the Senate just months after surpassing South Carolinian Strom Thurmond's record as its longest-serving member. His more than 18, roll call votes were another record. Byrd seemed to slow after the death of Erma, his wife of almost 69 years, in Frail and at times wistful, he used two canes to walk haltingly and needed help from aides to make his way about the Senate.
He often hesitated at unscripted moments. By , aides were bringing him to and from the Senate floor in a wheelchair. Byrd's lodestar was protecting the Constitution. He frequently pulled out a dog-eared copy of it from a pocket in one of his trademark three-piece suits. He also defended the Senate in its age-old rivalry with the executive branch, no matter which party held the White House. Unlike other prominent Senate Democrats such as presidential nominee John Kerry of Massachusetts, who voted to authorize the war in Iraq, Byrd stood firm in opposition — and felt gratified when public opinion swung behind him.
He cited Iraq when he endorsed then-Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination in May , calling Obama "a shining young statesman, who possesses the personal temperament and courage necessary to extricate our country from this costly misadventure. Byrd's accomplishments followed a childhood of poverty in West Virginia, and his success on the national stage came despite a complicated history on racial matters.
As a young man, he was a member of the Ku Klux Klan for a brief period, and he joined Southern Democrats in an unsuccessful filibuster against the landmark Civil Rights Act. He later apologized for both actions, saying intolerance has no place in America.
While supporting later civil rights bills, he opposed busing to integrate schools. Byrd briefly sought the Democratic presidential nomination in and later told associates he had once been approached by President Richard M.
Nixon, a Republican, about accepting an appointment to the Supreme Court. But he was a creature — and defender — of Congress across a career that began in with his election to the House. He served three terms there before winning his Senate seat in , when Dwight D. All Sections. About Us. B2B Publishing. Business Visionaries. Hot Property. Times Events. Times Store. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options. West Virginia Democratic Sen.
Robert C. Byrd in Byrd served longer than any member of Congress in U. Los Angeles Times Library. Kennedy shakes hands with President Nixon. Associated Press. President Reagan presents signed copies of his budget to congressional leaders from both parties in From left are Vice President George H. Byrd and Strom Thurmond, and Reps. Robert H. Michel and Jim Wright. Los Angeles Times. As Sen. Byrd, far right, and other members of the Senate look on, Sen.
Byrd and fellow Democratic Sen. Kennedy talk to reporters about the situation in Iraq. It is costing lives each day. Byrd emphasizes a point in an interview with a copy of the Constitution he carried in his pocket. Byrd with Sen. Byrd, second from right, with Sens. John W. Byrd with Iraq war veteran Tomas Young.
Byrd at a Sept. Capitol in Byrd was known for his oratory skills. Byrd, left, wipes his eyes as Rep. After he raised several ranks within the group, Byrd lost interest and stopped paying his dues.
He would later refer to his time with the KKK as "the most egregious mistake I've ever made. His allegiance to the KKK, however, did help push Byrd into the political arena. During his campaign, Byrd carried his fiddle in his briefcase and played at each stop on his speaking tour. His skill with the instrument helped to get people's attention on the stump, and had a hand in helping him win the election.
From that point forward, Byrd would never lose an election. After his re-election to the House of Delegates in , Byrd campaigned and won, a spot on the State Senate. Two years later, he would win a seat in the U. House of Representatives. Self-educated and well read, Byrd became known for his encyclopedic knowledge of parliamentary procedure, which allowed him to outmaneuvering Republicans with his mastery of the Senate's arcane rules.
But he still didn't have a college degree. After winning his seat in the House of Representatives for a second time in , the politician managed to enroll in night courses for law school, despite lacking a bachelor's degree. He was still attending school in , when he defeated the Republican incumbent, W. Chapman Rivercomb, for a spot in the U. In , after 10 years of classes, Byrd graduated cum laude with his Juris Doctor from American University. President Kennedy, the school's commencement speaker, handed Byrd his diploma.
After receiving his degree, Byrd started the Scholastic Recognition Award in , which awards the valedictorian at each West Virginia public and private high school with a savings bond. His financial generosity didn't stop there; appointed a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee in , Byrd became known for using his coveted position as a way to garner additional funds for poverty-stricken West Virginia.
He delivered millions in federal aid to his state to build roads, schools and hospitals. The move made him very popular with his constituency, earning him the title "West Virginian of the 20th Century. Byrd's early votes in Congress reflected his roots in Southern anti-Black, anti-Catholic and anti-Semitic teachings.
Byrd initially denounced civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. He also voted against the Voting Rights Act, which protected the voting rights of American minorities, making a hour filibuster speech in an attempt to keep the legislation from passing.
He later apologized for both these votes. After beating out incumbent senator Ted Kennedy for the position of Senate majority whip in , the second-highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, Byrd's name was mentioned as a possible Supreme Court candidate. His lack of law experience and his ties to the KKK, however, prevented his nomination. This didn't prevent him from winning re-election as the majority whip, then earning the title of Senate majority leader in Byrd also stayed busy as a musician, recording his own album of fiddle music, Mountain Fiddler , in This same year, he appeared on the television program Hee Haw to play fiddle.
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