Political Quotes

“early this morning, our country lost an icon and a national treasure. Our friend and colleague, Senator Robert C. Byrd, became a legend in his own time. And in many ways, he came to embody the institution of the Senate. As a leader, and as a guardian of Senate procedure and tradition, Senator Byrd was without equal. For more than half a century, he helped shape federal policy, and guided the course of a nation. But on the day he was born, in 1917, this unique place in history was far from assured. Raised in the coal country of West Virginia, few could have predicted that this intelligent but unassuming young man would rise to the very highest levels of our democracy. He was an avid fiddle player, and valedictorian of his high school class. But he could not afford to go to college until many years later. So as a young man, he found work as a meat cutter, a gas station attendant, and a store owner. And the store owner is very dear to me because our family were store owners, and I know how tough that business is. He welded Liberty and Victory ships during the Second World War, and several years later entered politics at the State level. That is where Robert Byrd found his true calling: public service. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1952, and has served the people of West Virginia in this Chamber since 1958. Over the course of his extraordinary career, he worked alongside 11 Presidents.…”