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Line 41: − − ===Leadership roles=== − − Byrd has been a member of the Democratic leadership since 1967, when he was elected as secretary of the Senate Democratic Conference (caucus). He became [[Senate Majority Whip]], or the second-ranking Democrat, in 1971. From 1977 to 1989 Byrd was the leader of the Senate Democrats, serving as [[Party leaders of the United States Senate|Senate Majority Leader]] from 1977 to 1981 and 1987 to 1989 and as [[Party leaders of the United States Senate|Senate Minority Leader]] from 1981 to 1987. − − In 1976, Byrd was the "favorite son" candidate in West Virginia's primary. His easy victory gave him control of the delegation to the national convention. His real goal was to become Senate majority leader to succeed [[Mike Mansfield]].{{Fact|date=February 2007}} Byrd had the inside track as majority whip. Byrd focused most of his time on campaigning for the office of majority leader, more so than for re-election to the Senate, as he was virtually unopposed for his fourth term. By the time the vote for majority leader was at hand, he had it so wrapped up that his lone rival, Minnesota's [[Hubert Humphrey]], withdrew before the balloting took place. − − Byrd is well known for steering federal dollars to West Virginia, one of the country's poorest states. In fact, he is called by some the "King of Pork."<ref>http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=news_byrddroppings</ref> After becoming chair of the Appropriations Committee in 1989, Byrd sought to steer, over time, a total of $1 billion for public works in the state.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} He passed that mark in 1991, and the steady stream of funds for highways, dams, educational institutions, and federal agency offices has continued unabated over the course of his membership. More than thirty pending or existing federal projects bear Byrd's name. He commented on his reputation for attaining funds for projects in West Virginia in August 2006 when he called himself "Big Daddy" at the dedication to the Robert C. Byrd Biotechnology Science Center.<ref>[http://www.herald-dispatch.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060827/OPINION/608270323/1034 Herald-Dispatch]</ref> He is close friends with [[Ted Stevens]] (R-[[Alaska|AK]]), with whom he alternated as chairman of the committee from 1995 to 2001. Stevens is also legendary for sending federal money back to his home state. Their relationship has been strained in recent years, however, over Byrd's recent stands on U.S. [[foreign policy]]. − − Byrd is also known for using his knowledge of [[parliamentary procedure]]: Before the "[[Reagan Revolution]]", Byrd frustrated Republicans with his encyclopedic knowledge of the inner workings of the Senate. From 1977 to 1979 he was described as "performing a procedural tap dance around the minority, outmaneuvering Republicans with his mastery of the Senate's arcane rules."<ref>[http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20C13FD3F5D0C738EDDAC0894DD404482 ''The New York Times'']</ref> In 1988, while Majority Leader, he [[Motion (democracy)|moved]] a [[Call of the house|call of the senate]], which was adopted by the majority present, in order to have the [[Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate|Sergeant at Arms]] arrest members not in attendance. One member ([[Robert Packwood]], R-[[Oregon|OR]]) was escorted back to the chamber by the Sergeant-at-Arms in order to obtain a [[quorum]].<ref>http://www.c-span.org/questions/weekly12.asp</ref> − − As the longest-serving Democrat in the Senate, Byrd was [[President pro tempore of the United States Senate|President pro Tempore of the Senate]] from 1989 until the Republicans won control of the Senate in 1995. When the Senate was evenly split between parties after the 2000 elections, Byrd was president pro tempore again briefly in 2001, when outgoing Vice President [[Al Gore]]'s tiebreaking vote temporarily gave the Democrats a majority. He stepped down when Vice President [[Dick Cheney]]'s tiebreaking vote gave the Republicans a majority. When Senator Jim Jeffords of Vermont left the Republican party to become an independent he again became president pro tem from June 2001 until Republicans retook the Senate in January 2003. During the times he served as president pro tempore he was the fourth person in the line of presidential succession. On November 14, 2006, he was again elected [[President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate]], as a result of the [[2006 Senate Elections]]. − − ==Klan Affiliation== − During the 1940s, he was involved in the [[Ku Klux Klan]] where he reached the rank of [[Exalted Cyclops]], the leader of the local chapter of the organization.<ref>Pianin, Eric. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/18/AR2005061801105_pf.html A Senator's Shame: Byrd, in His New Book, Again Confronts Early Ties to KKK]. Washington Post, 2005-06-19, pp. A01</ref> He repeatedly expressed his desire for the Klan to expand to its previous size and power, once remarking in a letter that "The Klan is needed today as never before and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia" and "in every state in the nation." <ref>King, Colbert I. [http://www.pulitzer.org/year/2003/commentary/works/king2.html Sen. Byrd: The view from Darrell's barbershop], Washington Post, March 2, 2002</ref> − − Byrd commented on the 1945 controversy raging over the idea of racially integrating the military. In his book When ''Jim Crow Met John Bull'', Graham Smith referred to a letter written that year by Byrd, when he was 28 years old, to [[segregationist]] Senator [[Theodore Bilbo]] of [[Mississippi]], in which Byrd vowed never to fight: − − :''Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds."'' − − He had earlier written Bilbo: − − :''"I shall never fight in the armed forces with a Negro by my side"'' − − By the 1950s, he was no longer involved with the Ku Klux Klan. To this day, he acknowledges the poor choice he made, and like [[Strom Thurmon]], (who originally ran on a segregationist platform) says he regrets being involved with the group.
Reverted edits by FredK (Talk); changed back to last version by RobS
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[[Image:Uity70.jpg|right|thumb]]
'''Robert Byrd''' (born 1917) is a [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] Senator from [[West Virginia]]. He is currently the oldest and longest-serving member of [[Congress]], [[President pro tempore]] of the US Senate, and is the longest-serving [[Senator]] in history, having been first elected in 1959. He is third in line to the [[President of the United States|Presidency]] behind [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Dick Cheney]] and [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker]] [[Nancy Pelosi]].
'''Robert Byrd''' (born 1917) is a [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] Senator from [[West Virginia]]. He is currently the oldest and longest-serving member of [[Congress]], [[President pro tempore]] of the US Senate, and is the longest-serving [[Senator]] in history, having been first elected in 1959.
During the 1940s, he was involved in the [[Ku Klux Klan]] where he reached the rank of [[Exalted Cyclops]], the leader of the local chapter of the organization.<ref>Pianin, Eric. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/18/AR2005061801105_pf.html A Senator's Shame: Byrd, in His New Book, Again Confronts Early Ties to KKK]. Washington Post, 2005-06-19, pp. A01</ref> He repeatedly expressed his desire for the Klan to expand to its previous size and power, once remarking in a letter that "The Klan is needed today as never before and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia" and "in every state in the nation." <ref>King, Colbert I. [http://www.pulitzer.org/year/2003/commentary/works/king2.html Sen. Byrd: The view from Darrell's barbershop], Washington Post, March 2, 2002</ref>
Byrd commented on the 1945 controversy raging over the idea of racially integrating the military. In his book When ''Jim Crow Met John Bull'', Graham Smith referred to a letter written that year by Byrd, when he was 28 years old, to [[segregationist]] Senator [[Theodore Bilbo]] of [[Mississippi]], in which Byrd vowed never to fight:
:''Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds."''
He had earlier written Bilbo:
:''"I shall never fight in the armed forces with a Negro by my side"''
By the 1950s, he was no longer involved with the Ku Klux Klan. To this day, he acknowledges the poor choice he made, and like [[Strom Thurmon]], (who originally ran on a segregationist platform) says he regrets being involved with the group.
He is third in line to the [[President of the United States|Presidency]] behind [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Dick Cheney]] and [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker]] [[Nancy Pelosi]].
==Congressional service==
==Congressional service==
| url = http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0228-07.htm
| url = http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0228-07.htm
| accessdate = 2006-10-03 }}</ref> Despite an 83 day [[filibuster]] in the Senate, both parties in Congress voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Act, and President Johnson signed the bill into law.<ref>http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Civil_Rights_Filibuster_Ended.htm U.S. Senate, June 10, 1964: Civil Rights Filibuster Ended]</ref> He also opposed the [[Voting Rights Act of 1965]], but voted for the [[Civil Rights Act of 1968]]. In 2005, Byrd told the ''Washington Post'' that his membership in the [[Baptist]] church led to a change in his views. In the opinion of one reviewer, Byrd, along with other Southern and border state Democrats, came to realize that he would have to temper "his blatantly [[racial segregation|segregationist]] views" and move to the Democratic Party mainstream if he wanted to play a role nationally.<ref name="WP061905"/>
| accessdate = 2006-10-03 }}</ref> Despite an 83 day [[filibuster]] in the Senate, both parties in Congress voted overwhelmingly in favor of the Act, and President Johnson signed the bill into law.<ref>http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Civil_Rights_Filibuster_Ended.htm U.S. Senate, June 10, 1964: Civil Rights Filibuster Ended]</ref> He also opposed the [[Voting Rights Act of 1965]], but voted for the [[Civil Rights Act of 1968]]. In 2005, Byrd told the ''Washington Post'' that his membership in the [[Baptist]] church led to a change in his views. In the opinion of one reviewer, Byrd, along with other Southern and border state Democrats, came to realize that he would have to temper "his blatantly [[racial segregation|segregationist]] views" and move to the Democratic Party mainstream if he wanted to play a role nationally.<ref name="WP061905"/>
==References==
==References==