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[cal04]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15409.html

Senate legend Robert Byrd, approaching 91 this month and hailing a “new day in Washington” , said he would voluntarily give up the chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee with the new Congress.

“To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven” said Byrd, who had fended off earlier challenges this past spring and summer.“Those Biblical words from Ecclesiastes 3:1 express my feelings about this particular time in my life.”

“I have been privileged to be a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee for 50 years and to have chaired the Committee for ten years, during a time of enormous change in our great country, both culturally and politically. I have learned that nothing is quite so permanent as change. It is simply a part of living and should not be feared. “

“To be serving in the Senate at such a momentous time in our history fills me with enormous pride. I endorsed President-elect Obama because I believed that we had taken the wrong course both at home and abroad. I am delighted with his victory. I was an early critic of the war in Iraq, as was the President-elect, who decried this war even before he was running for a United States Senate seat. I wish our new President every success with his commitment to unite us as one people.

[LSparkle]

1. Now THAT is a class act ...

To admit that just serving in the Senate at this pivotal time is
enough is admirable. How often do you see someone in D.C. give
up power voluntarily, without being shamed or convicted into it?

[StacyPeace]

2. 91

Is a great age. I think continuing politics at that age is selfharming. He should enjoy retirement. A new generation of Democrats will continue the work!

[Hubert Flottz]

3. There in a nutshell, is what it means to serve one's country.

Robert Byrd his put himself and his pride aside and has done the thing that he thought was best for his country, when he made this decision. I'll be sad to see him step down, but he is the best judge of what he is or is not still able to do. For as long as I have been politically aware, I can count up on one hand the things that Senator Byrd has done in Washington that I really did not understand or that I have not agreed with.

It's too bad that there are not many more like him in Washington.