Political Quotes

“Mr. President, since hearing this morning about the passing of Senator Byrd--he died shortly after 5 a.m.--I have been reflecting on the man I knew. Those who have the great privilege to serve in the Senate have occasion to meet and interact with great people. The expression ``giant'' is used not too frequently about Senators. It certainly would apply to Senator Byrd, but I believe it is insufficient. Searching my own mind for a more apt term, ``colossus'' might better fit Robert Byrd. His career in the Congress of the United States was extraordinary, really astounding. To think that he was elected in 1952 and was sworn in while Harry Truman was still President of the United States and has served since that time, with many things that happened, during the administrations of President Eisenhower, President Kennedy, President Johnson, President Nixon, President Carter, President George H.W. Bush, President Ronald Reagan before, President George W. Bush, President Clinton, and now President Obama. One of the distinctions he made early on was the fact that in the Senate, we serve with Presidents; we do not serve under Presidents. I think that was a calling card by Senator Byrd as a constitutionalist on the separation of powers. He was a fierce fighter for that separation of powers. When the line-item veto was passed, he took up the battle to have it declared unconstitutional as an encroachment on article I powers in the U.S. Congress on appropriations.…”