Barack Obama: “I wish to take a minute to offer my sincerest condolences to Senator Byrd on the passing of his beloved wife Erma. In a…”

“I wish to take a minute to offer my sincerest condolences to Senator Byrd on the passing of his beloved wife Erma. In a love story that is both moving and inspiring to all people, Robert Byrd's grade school sweetheart became his lifelong best friend in a marriage that spanned almost seven decades. While this makes the loss that much more profound, I would imagine it makes the memories that much sweeter and the love all the more enduring. As somebody who is fortunate enough myself to be married to a wonderful woman for the past 14 years, I can only imagine the difficult transition this causes for our dear colleague from the State of West Virginia, but I pray that the Byrd family will find strength in this difficult time. I pray that Erma may now rest in eternal peace.”