Byrd becomes longest-serving member of Congress

He is poster child for term limits. He started out as a racist then changed his spots in order to survive politically. He became Mr. Pork because of his long tenure in the Senate. Meanwhile, West Virginia ranks 49th among states in per capita income.

in reference to:

"West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd has been around so long that nearly all lawmakers in Congress can remember reasons they love him - and many can recall how they once bitterly opposed him.The veteran Democrat on Wednesday became the longest-serving member of Congress in history, as he logged day No. 20,774, surpassing the record of Arizona Democrat Carl Hayden, who served in the House of Representatives and the Senate from 1912 to 1969.As the senior senator, Byrd, who will turn 92 on Friday, is the Senate president pro tempore and third in line for the presidency. Although he's been ailing lately and missed most votes this year, he's been back in recent weeks. He was the floor manager for this year's homeland security spending bill, and he heard tributes Wednesday from his colleagues.His legacy, scholars say, is that of a lawmaker who changed with the times. A youthful Ku Klux Klan member, Byrd fought and eventually voted against the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act, as well as against the confirmation of Thurgood Marshall as the first black Supreme Court justice in 1967."
- Byrd becomes longest-serving member of Congress - Sacramento Politics - California Politics | Sacramento Bee (view on Google Sidewiki)