Yes, Byrd is planning to run in 2006. He won't leave the Senate, unless it's feet first. The only Pubbie candidate realistically suggested thus far is Shelley Moore Capito, currently our only Republican member of Congress (the others being Democrats Alan B. Mollohan and Nick Joe "The Sheik" Rahall).
Beware of the employee who won't leave the office. They insist on remaining because they are hiding/covering all their bad work and blaming it on co-workers and usually stealing you blind at the same time. I always enforced a mandatory vacation period for every employee. You would be amazed at what you unearth from an employee who never missed a day in seven years! One accident or severe illness and you find they were up to quite a bit and you discover why they never left the office..........
Byrd is like Kennedy. The thought of eventually getting exposed by the replacement is worse than death. It's why they will outlive us all.