Robert Byrd R.I.P.

Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia has died at age 92. He became a Senator in 1958, but had served six years in the House before that. In national politics since 1952, Robert Byrd spend 58 of his 92 years as a Washington insider. Over half his life, certainly over half his adult life, on the government payroll.

As a human being, we mourn his passing. As a force in politics, as odious as the man was, naming every pork project in West Virginia after himself, he may be a net loss to the Democrat party. Sure the Democratic governor will appoint his replacement. But, had Senator Byrd even maintained a pulse until after July 3rd, that appointment would not have faced reelection for more than two years. Now, it's four months until November, and whoever the appointment is, will have to spend his or her time campaigning to retain that seat.

And for all his faults, Byrd probably subscribed to a stricter moral code than the current crop of Democrats. There may be subtle ways in which we will miss the man in his absence, as he will no longer be an anchor to the party's headlong slide into socialism.


Cross posted at Left Coast Rebel