Wise Man of West Virginia

I was touched by Senator Robert Byrd's move to relinquish his job as head of the
Senate Appropriations Committe.

Nobody had to pressure the Senator from West Virginia -- although, as it says in the NYT, he must have been aware folks were chattering.

Still an eloquent speaker, he's becoming frailer, and apparently colleagues had feared that the enormous work that committee will have to do in the coming year would be too much for Byrd.

Byrd's decision to step aside leaves the post open for Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, a youthful 84.