Sen. Robert Byrd walks to his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 13, 2008. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)
by Frank James
Sen. Robert Byrd, the legendary but frail 90-year-old Senate fixture and chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, who's been the subject of much chatter in that body by colleagues with doubts about his being up to the job, evidently put on a bravura performance at a hearing yesterday.
Okay, maybe bravura is putting too fine a point on it. Still, The Hill reports that the West Virginia Democrat chaired a hearing which was well attended by many who apparently mainly came to see what kind of shape Byrd was in. Rumors that a vulture was spotted flying over the Capitol at the time of the hearing are greatly exaggerrated.
Byrd, who has been a senator longer than anyone else in U.S. history, was in such fine fettle that he told reporters after the hearing that his critics could just "shut up."
By showing up and chairing the hearing, Byrd put to rest speculation, at least publicly, that he could soon be ousted in favor of a relatively spry fellow Democrat, like the 68-year old Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont.
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Comments
Keep fighting the good fight, Senator Byrd. This is America, after all, one that you fought to create, so, you retire when you feel like it and don't let those young whippersnappers tell you other wise!! Good luck and God bless you, Senator Byrd!!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | April 17, 2008 11:06 AM
A man who was brought to power by hate and who now uses it to cling to it. Pathetic. Harry Reid is doing something right for once.
Posted by: Jeff | April 17, 2008 4:58 PM
I guess it's time for him to go to the Grand Keagle Retirment home and he can start sewing some white hooded sheets for his younger klan members.
The fact that Fitz above thinks he's a great AMerican shows where he stands.
Posted by: Terry | April 17, 2008 9:35 PM