For over half a century Robert Byrd served the people of West Virginia in Congress, first in the House of Representatives, then in the United States Senate. He was, in fact, the longest serving US senator ever, until Michigan's John Dingell surpassed him.

And if you think West Virginia's current Senator Joe manchin hasoutsize influence, he's nothing compared to what Byrd had.

The one and only time I had a chance to meet Senator Byrd was n 2004. It was just a couple of months before the presidential election, in which George W Bush was running for re-election against Democrat John Kerry..

Byrd had written a book obviously intended to help carries effort, in which Byrd scathingly criticized President Bush for the Iraq War.