Libby Casey, APRN – Washington DC
Alaska’s former Senator Ted Stevens is reflecting on the life of his long time colleague Senator Robert Byrd today. Byrd died this morning at the age of 92 after serving West Virginia in the Senate for more than five decades. Four of them were spent serving along-side and sparring with the 86-year old Stevens, who lost his re-election bid in 2008.
Stevens says when he first entered the Senate in 1968, Byrd took him aside for guidance.
He was known to champion the Constitution, which he carried around with him everywhere, and was a stickler for procedural rules. Stevens says that could work in their favor, because Byrd was a master at finding ways in the Senate to benefit his rural state. Stevens says even though they were on different sides of the political aisle, Byrd helped him advocate for his small-population state.
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