Senator Byrd Turns 91
Senator Byrd Turns 91 Save Email Print
Posted: 11:11 AM Nov 20, 2008
 Last Updated: 11:11 AM Nov 20, 2008
 Reporter: Associated Press
Email Address: news@wsaz.com
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd has marked another milestone.

The West Virginia political icon and nation's longest-serving senator turned 91 years old Thursday.

Byrd's birthday comes amid major changes for the veteran Democrat, who was first elected to the Senate in 1958 and won a record ninth term two years ago.

Earlier this month, Byrd stepped down as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, a position that helped him steer billions of dollars in federal projects to the Mountain State.

The move had been rumored for some time, as questions about Byrd's health arose over the last two years.
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Posted by: Lenny on Nov 21, 2008 at 08:33 PM
I am 48 years old. Byrd took his Senate seat before I was born. That's a long time. (Ike was President). We had two NEW states (Alaska & Hawaii)- The Edsel was a new car. - AND - Byrd was a brand new Senator. GEEE !
Posted by: Joe on Nov 21, 2008 at 01:32 PM
I thought he was 150 years old already !
Posted by: Hank on Nov 21, 2008 at 11:07 AM
Holy Cow! I have a head full of grey hair and now have my first grandchild. - For God's Sake, but some term limits on these politicians !
Posted by: Anonymous on Nov 21, 2008 at 09:54 AM
he doesn't even know he's in the world half the time...retire already
Posted by: CONGRATS on Nov 20, 2008 at 09:07 PM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR.BYRD AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE,I HAVE HEARD YOUR SPEECHES AND YOU ARE STRAIGHT UP AND HONEST WITH WHAT YOU SAY KEEP UP THE GOOD FOR ALL AND MANY MORE BIRTHDAYS TOO
Posted by: Matt on Nov 20, 2008 at 07:12 PM
Thank you Honorable Senator for your tireless work for West Virginia. If anyone ever deserved to retire, you certainly do. However, your selflessness and love for West Virginia keeps you going. I wish you many more years in the Senate as the Representative of our State, and the defender of the U.S. Constitution. Keep up the good work for the sake of us all!
Posted by: Kathy in Huntington on Nov 20, 2008 at 04:43 PM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Sen Byrd! Thank you for all you've done for WV. People may cry "pork" BUT EVERYTHING you've taken even IF "pork" has been for this State and her residents and you've done so much to get adequate water, sewer and roads for EVERYONE in this State including low income folks You have also done SO much for WVU and Marshall. Just look @ MU now and all the great things you've done for it, her students and this entire community. Plus you've done so much for the entire State and have represented us all so well for so many years. We'll NEVER have another representative of our State who cares as much or does as much for us as you have and continue to do THANK YOU for all you've done sir. Hope you have a wonderful birthday and many many more! God bless you & keep you safe, well and happy!
Posted by: Perry on Nov 20, 2008 at 04:05 PM
Senator Byrd should be thanked for over 50 years of service and his contribution to this state. For the good of the people of West Virginia and our nation, keep up the good work as defender of our State, Country, and Constitution.
Posted by: LaDonna Anderson on Nov 20, 2008 at 03:35 PM
My husband Grandmother is 99 yrs old and still very sharp and smart. grandma is a remarkable woman. She keeps the family grounded. She is always polite and digified as a lady. I hope Senater is half a remarkable a man as grandma is a woman. The best of health and best wishes to both seniors of this Great States WV.
Posted by: Anonymous on Nov 20, 2008 at 03:32 PM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR SENATOR BYRD YOU ARE AWONDERFUL MAN I HOPE YOU HAVE MANY MORE BIRTHDAYS TO COME I HAVE ENJOYED WATCHING YOU OVER THE YEARS AND WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT WORK YOU HAVE DONE FOR WV YOU HAVE HELPED ME GREAT DEAL ON AFEW LITLE EMAILS I SENT YOU I WISH YOU WOULD WRITE ANOTHER BOOK I SO MUCH ENJOYED THE LAST ONE
Posted by: Alan on Nov 20, 2008 at 01:16 PM
Happy Birthday, NOW RETIRE for the good of the people of West Virginia.
Posted by: Pablo on Nov 20, 2008 at 11:33 AM
Senator Robert C. Byrd is the last of the great Southern Democrats that helped make America great. How proud I am of Sen. Byrd for being not only an outstanding West Virginian but a truly great American. I wish him many more years serving West Virginia and our nation.
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  • Posted By: to food for thought: i think you have solved the mystery on m.t.r.obama pay back of the unions.lets see if the so called news investigates this theory.but aren,t news media union too.wont hear any thing from them.left up to the peons and peasants to bring up truth ful news.
  • Posted By: Keith: Anon. it would seem Big Earl is sick of you too. And Food for Thought, great comment, Cecil Roberts is a joke and a sorry excuse for a labor leader he seems to as big a dunce as his buddy Obama. Look at the union under him and figure it out. So hows the hope and change working for everyone? Another half million jobs lost in June. Trace it back folks, the economy went belly up when it bacame apparent the democrat party was going to nominate a radical, ignorant, inexperienced marxist to their ticket. Economists tell us that full employment is considered at an unemployment rate of 4.7%, a year ago unemployment was at 5%. But you all know, Bush was soooo stupid. Look at how the war in Iraq turned out...ooops can't use that one, look at how great the economy is now...oops, can't use that one...well everybody hated us when Bush was in office and now everybody just loooves us and helps us out in the world, well, oops, look at N. Korea, Iran, can't use that one. Some of you really got fooled.
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  • Posted By: politically correct again: do video on left wing coal protesters,tea party ,a grudgeing few sentences.i wrote a longer anynallyse,but i dont see it,it must have been too much truth for liberal left wing so called reporting.but we do have some truth seeker else where,they,re catching on.....
  • Posted By: jesco: What a disappointment the Ashland Summer Motion was for our children. No focus on the children whatsoever...........The hospitals were the main focus along with the motorcycle show..... very little for the children to enjoy. HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT!!!!
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  • Posted By: : RE: Worm in Water If you will Google "hair worm", you will be given millions of pages of information concerning the hair worm. There used to be a myth that a horse hair put in water would turn into a worm. From experience, it doesn't work.
  • Posted By: food for thought: WSAZ I ask of you please do a a follow up story of the 6 weeks of rain that we had so some of these people who have forgotten will have some miniscule sense of thereselves to know that ALL THAT RAIN would cause flooding anywhere. Here is another story. Find UMWA president MR. Roberts and ask him why he hasn't come out and had his brothers and sisters to be involved in keeping there MTR jobs.All these people that say Massey is a Union breaking company should be worried in salvaging the jobs they do have. It's not rocket science, UMWA supports Obama, in return Obama may reward them. This may be from left field but believe I am on to something. Isn't it strange the protesters only target Massey. Most of them are led to believe there are NO union jobs in WV. HOW STRANGE!? Here is the hunch I have WV politicians don't like Don B and the Union supports Obama. So sounds like a money trail to me for the hippies. Just a thought, but makes for good reporting. Big Earl lets make the idea reality!
  • Posted By: To Fat Earl: You're losing! Ha,Ha!
  • Posted By: Diane: Buck, I agree. When it comes to kids playing sports (not just in the summer), the parents are CRAZY! They just need to "cut the cord" and allow their children, the refs, and coaches worry about the games. Now if you have a parent who is a coach just watch out...that is a double wammy!
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  • Posted By: : I for one am sick and tired of reading the same bs that big earl keeps spewing out. All you ever hear is peta, tree huggers, hippies. People who made a difference in this world and who are smart enough to care, should be honored instead of being bashed by some people who have the mentality of the monkeys who they believed they evolved from. also big earl keep on believing that your idol, who you worship and adore so much is smarter than a nasa scientist, apparently you haven't been around any smart people.
  • Posted By: bias obious: if anyone has had a dought about left wing liberal news bias,heres a glaring clue.anti coal party,news,with video.tea party,productive people concerned with socialism,taxed into poverty,a czar run government,etc,no video ,a disintrested report,yawn,yawn,yawn.thankfully we now have an alternative to this liberal bias with conservative talk radio,internet news ,alternate t.v. etc.there is a good article on world net daily about the vietnam war.hollywood was running the war then too.
  • Posted By: buck: why is it w/ summer sports it seems the parents make it all about them instead of the kids. am i wrong or do alot of these parents seem to want to relive life again through the kids. or even worse make a claim to being so good at whatever the sport the parent did that they push the kid all because of what they did 'or never did'. These parents also seem to be the really high ego type person. funny thing is if the parent was so good then why arent they pro or at least a great college player. what i have noticed is the the kids w/ the parent who did play college or was on the verge of being pro does not press the issue. they allow the kids to play ball. just my opinion
  • Posted By: Big Earl: Well hello again good working coal people of WV this is Big Earl and I hope everyone had a nice holiday wouldn’t it be nice if we could have a holiday or one of them permenant vacations from all the tree hugger types and hippies that are barging into our communities uninvited tying to run all our jobs off. Well good people I am calling on those who have the means to do so and you know who you are so lets pony up some cash and have our own protest here in the coal fields to support our coal miners. I seen on this very TV station where the tree huggers held a rally and a cookout with a bunch of Grateful Dead hippie wanttobees singing about the trees and polar bears but we can do one better. We can have it down at the coal festival in Madison people I say invite some real singers who aint got above there raisin like WV adopted son Mr. Charlie Daniels and how about Alabama since they have coal down there to. Invite Gov. Joe and them people from Washington DC that is a good way to find out who is pretending to be a friend of coal and who is really on our side. We could even make Mother Jones bobblehead dolls to give away I for one would like to see her set loose on these tree huggers that have invaded Cabin Creek trying to run off her beloved coal miners. You could pull a string and she would say #** !!##**!! Tree huggers.
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