I give Senator Byrd credit for overcoming a racist past. I have not been a fan of his bloated oratory nor of his ability to fatten his constituency by being "king of the pork barrel." Problem is, every other state wishes they had as effective an advocate for Federal funds. He has been, along with a number of other long-serving Senators on both sides of the aisle, an example of people too long in public office. I have often supposed that he must have been a relative, somehow, of the late Charlie Byrd, one of my favorite all-time guitarists and a Virginian.

I, being an unreconstructed dinosaur, still believe that elective office should be seen as a temporary position of public service after which you should return to live among those whose lives have been affected by your votes. It should never be seen as a career.