Douglas Alexander: “I first came to the U.S. Senate 40 years ago next year, not as a Senator but as a legislative assistant. Senator Kennedy…”

“I first came to the U.S. Senate 40 years ago next year, not as a Senator but as a legislative assistant. Senator Kennedy was here then in his second term. Senator Byrd had been in the Congress since 1953. I was working for Howard Baker, the first Republican Senator to be elected from Tennessee. I noticed over the years how he and Senator Byrd became good friends. The strength of that friendship was demonstrated in 1980 when the Republicans gained control of the Senate--which surprised virtually everyone, gaining 12 seats. Among the shocks that would occur is that Howard Baker, who was then the Republican leader--he refused to call himself the minority leader, but the Republican leader--was to become majority leader and Robert Byrd, who was the Democratic leader, would have to be the minority leader. I remember two stories Senator Baker tells about that incident which had a lot to do with shaping what happened in the Senate shortly after that. Senator Baker went to see Senator Byrd, and as I have been told, he said: Bob, I wonder if you would be willing to keep your office. Well, that got him off to a good start with Bob Byrd. I am sure that incident must have caused the Senate to work much more smoothly over the next few years. Senator Baker kept the minority leader's office and expanded it, and Senator Byrd kept the majority leader's office even though he was the minority leader.…”