That's not the point. Everybody knows Byrd won't get booted. The purpose here is to undermine the Dems' stolen credibility on matters of race. If this is repeated often enough, black voters will begin to realize that the party they are ostensibly beholden to is harboring a Klansman. They may not vote Republican, but some of them will get disgusted enough to stop supporting the Dems. This is a winning issue.
Thank you for your succinct reply. I had not looked at it from that perspective. You are correct and I stand corrected. :)