Sen. Byrd to be President pro temp of the Senate...

[Skidmore]

Just heard on CSPAN...

Well done, Senators. That man deserves to be acknowledged for all the speaking up he did during the really dark times.

[Mass]

1. This is an honorary position offered to the most senior senator of the majority party.

Stevens had it before.

[troublemaker]

10. Not entirly honorary--I think pres protem is in the line of presidential succession

[KingFlorez]

2. President Pro Tem

The most senior member of the Majority Party generally gets this position

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. Has he had this post before?

[Reverend_Smitty]

4. yes

I know he held it in 02 when we briefly controlled the senate. I'm not sure if he had it before then

[GreenPartyVoter]

8. Well he's been in there so long it seemed almost a given :^)

[Renew Deal]

5. 4th from the throne

:D

[Bitwit1234]

6. Rejoice

Puts him third in line for the presidency....after the vp, speaker of the house. I think they passed the law in the 1940's to cover this.

[One Sweet World]

7. Go Robert C. Byrd!

President Pro Temp is really a figure head. The majority leader is the one that sets the agenda. Byrd is the expert when it comes to Senate rules. He is getting up there though. Will he ever retire? Probably not.

[texpatriot2004]

9. Yeah for Senator Byrd nm

[Robbins]

11. Byrd

He first got the postion back In 1989 when he stepped down as Democratic Leader In the Senate.
Bush Is also going to hate him chairing the approations committee again.They may have to start Including costs for Iraq and Afghanstein In the budget.Bush Is probally the reason he ran for
reelection this year.If Kerry had won or If Gore was In his second term I think he probally would have retired but as a critic of Bush and the war he couldn't do that.