Harry Byrd Jr. R.I.P

Harry Byrd Jr. died,indeed, I thought he died years ago but today I looked at the Wall Street Journal dated 7/31/13 and it had Byrd's obit.He was 98 when he died,a relic of different world,even when he became Senator in 1965,replacing his ailing father,he never was power in the Senate his father was,for his father ruled the finance committee,like ancient king,only legation,which in his case was the budget and taxes,he favor would reach the light of day.Robert Cato,LBJ's biographer tells a the story that when Johnson wanted a tax cut he said to aid,"we must have Byrd aboard,"the aid repiled," he just one of nine votes need to pass the tax cut"Johnson replied," Byrd always seems to have nine votes in his pocket." Junior(can you imagine that a man lives to 98 and yet he's name is Junior) never that power,indeed,he's father's machine was breaking down.Junior would be elected severial times but Byrd was wanning the times they were changing,the South was no longer controlled the old guard segregationist Democrats,Jim Crow had to eat crow.
Byrd's death was reported by a family newspaper Winchester Star.I think that's paper somebody(Daniel O'Reilly)I went to Shepherd College with grandfather was the editor of that paper and think he broke with Byrds when JFK ran for president in 1960.The Byrd machine stop backing Democrats for president in 1948 often by stealth.
The Byrds were quite the power in Sheiandoah Valley(beautiful country,where is famous highway with great views)indeed, I remember they had business dealing with apples and of course non-union. 
The Byrds go back 300 years,if not more, in Virginia Junior was last in line of those in public live:he enter the Senate 1965,elected in 1966 the same year Will Robertson(Pat's dad) lost his senate seat which he had for many years.Robertson was like Byrd the old guard,however,he wasn't part Byrd machine,indeed,he had his own machine,but his defeat shown times were of changing in Old Dominion.Byrd went on to win re-election in 1970 and 1976,however,that year he ran as Independent,he lae the Senate in 1982,the last of the dynasty.