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up to its fiscal problem. We cannot continue forever with heavy deficit spending. To stay strong, we will have to put our fiscal house in order.” The philosophy shaped by Sen. Byrd Sr. was given continued life by his son.
One break the younger Byrd made from his father was his decision in 1970 to remove himself from the ranks of the state Democratic party. At that time. Sen. Byrd Jr. stated that he had not left the party, it had left him.
The state party machinery was moving more and more to the left under the influence of George Rawlings and Henry Howell. The Senator could no longer find a comfortable home in the party his father had made so strong. He became a political independent, aligning himself only with the organization his father had molded over the years. While serving as an independent in Washington, Sen. Byrd continued to meet with the Senate’s Democratic caucus, much to the consternation of Virginia Democrats.
As the Republican Party gained strength in Virginia during the ’70s pressure mounted on Sen. Byrd to make another move away from his father's party. Although he was lobbied intensely by the Gop, Sen. Byrd maintained his Independent status. His son, Tom Byrd, however, did make the move and for awhile seemed to be ready to launch his political career in a race for lieutenant governor as a Republican. He later withdrew from that race citing personal reasons. There is a great deal of speculation'. ' that the election of Democrat Charles Robb as governor in November, a move that ended the 12 year Republican claim on that office, may have prompted Sen. Byrd’s decision. During a press conference following his retirement announcement in Richmond, the Senator brushed this aside, saying that he had decided that 18 years in the U. S. Senate was enough.
The Senator's decision removing himself from the daily life of Washington does not surprise those who knew him well as a publisher of the Winchester Star and as a farmer. Several years ago, Sen. Byrd said privately that given the choice between the Senate or the newspaper business, he would prefer to be a newspaper publisher.
While Monday’s announcement marks the end of an era in Virginia, there is no doubt that the family’s influence on Virginia politics will continue for some time. Potential candidates for Sen. Byrd’s seat are already scampering for support in Virginia. And that scampering will most assuredly take them .to Winchester, where they will seek the endorsement of Sen. Byrd.
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