James Joyner | Friday, November 7, 2008

** FILE ** In this Sept. 11, 2008 file photo, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va, waves a flag during a ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington in remembrance of the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks. Byrd, the longest-serving senator in history, is stepping down from his cherished post as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke, File)

In this Sept. 11, 2008 file photo, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va, waves a flag during a ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington in remembrance of the Sept. 11 terrorists attacks. Byrd, the longest-serving senator in history, is stepping down from his cherished post as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke, File)