Robert Byrd, Longest-Serving U.S. Senator, Dies at 92

Fox News ^ | 6/28/10 | Staff

[careyb]

Robert Byrd, Longest-Serving U.S. Senator, Dies at 92

Published June 28, 2010

| FOXNews.com

Reuters

Feb. 2009: Sen. Robert Byrd doffs his hat for reporters as he arrives at the Capitol in Washington.

Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, the longest-serving senator in American history, died Monday at the age of 92, a spokesman for the family said.

Byrd, a Democrat who served in the U.S. Senate since 1959, had been plagued by health problems in recent years and was confined to a wheelchair. He had skipped several votes in Congress in the past months. 

Jesse Jacobs, a family spokesman, said Byrd died peacefully at about 3 a.m. at Inova Hospital in Fairfax, Va.

He was the oldest member of the 111th Congress.

The passing of Sen. Byrd will not affect the balance of power in the Senate. West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, a Democrat, will appoint a replacement senator to serve out the remainder of Byrd's term which ends in 2012.

[ncalburt]

Wrong, I read that because Bryd died before the 3 of July it will be a midterm election for the spot.

[TheOldLady]

Yep ... him and Kennedy are hopefully together again, and I hope it’s really warm.

Well, I wasn't going to say it today. Maybe tomorrow, and every day thereafter. You may have noticed that I said his "constituents loved" him. My implication was that nobody else did.

[ncalburt]

Yeaaaaaaaaa

[oneolcop]

Robert “sheets” Byrd...Gone to the big Klavern in the sky.

[divine_moment_of_facts]

It’s the sheriff! Heh.

[jacknhoo]

...And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us...

However, we should always remember, it was and is wrong what he did.

[PapaBear3625]

the appointment is until
   a successor to the office
      has timely filed a certificate of candidacy,
      has been nominated at
         the primary election next following such timely filing
      and
      has thereafter been elected and qualified to fill the unexpired term.

The West Virginia primary was in May, so that's already passed for 2010. The primary for the remainder of Byrd's term would be May 2011, and the special election in Nov 2011.

[divine_moment_of_facts]

God gave him Free Will.. It was up to him to be the man God wanted him to be.

[Scutter]

[AFPhys]

Prayers for Sen.Robert Byrd. May God sees fit that he not spend eternity in Hell.

[brothers4thID]

I never liked his politics and could never understand why a man who always carried a copy of the Constitution in his pocket could do so much to endanger the Republic.

That said, my thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time.

[Danae]

My sympathies to his family.

Rest in peace Sir.

[Squantos]

So you were correct ?

Good deal.... Thanks for the update !

[freethinker_for_freedom]

“So everybody gets into heaven?”

I don’t remember saying that.

[freethinker_for_freedom]

“So everybody gets into heaven?”

I don’t remember saying that.

[doggieboy]

I’m sorry to hear that he passed away, as he was a big embarrassment to the Democrats. Of course, they were too stupid to realize it.

[freethinker_for_freedom]

Me neither.

[a fool in paradise]

I wish this disgrace as much rest as Saddam Hussein is getting.

[lazypadawan]

Sen. Byrd: Why term limits AND an age limit on serving are good ideas.

[jellybean]

I read it as “the unexpired term” of the candidate who is no longer in office or, as in this case, dead. So, how does it matter when an appointment is made, if the candidate died more than 2 years and 6 months before the end of the unexpired term?

Ahhhh...I see you're right! I was misunderstanding it to mean the amount of time the named successor would have left in the unexpired term.