The political career of the late Senator Robert C. Byrd, which spanned more than 57 years in Congress, had its ups and downs but his determination to hard work and respect for tradition embodies the American spirit.

Why is Ariel Sharon evacuating Gaza? It is not because he believes that a decent Palestinian state will emerge after the Israelis withdraw. Nobody believes that.

Senator Robert Byrd was a champion of the Senate, working to protect its fundamental character and trying to preserve a functioning Senate that would make the framers proud.