U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia dead at 92

WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert C. Byrd, who rose from the poverty of West Virginia coal country to become the sage and conscience of U.S. Senate in a political career stretching more than half a century, died today. He was 92.

Byrd's desk in the Senate chamber was draped in black, in recognition both of his longevity — he served longer and cast more votes than any senator in history — and the tenacity in which he defended the traditions and prerogatives of the Senate.

Brandishing his copy of the U.S. Constitution that he always carried with him, he resisted any attempt to diminish the role of the Senate, as in the days leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq when he was one of the few to stand up against ceding warmaking powers to President George W. Bush.

Byrd was equally tireless in steering federal dollars to his state, one of the nation's poorest, and his efforts will live on in the many highways and buildings in West Virginia that carry his name.

President Barack Obama said the Senate "has lost a venerable institution, and America has lost a voice of principle and reason."