Following the Rules
West Virginia's Senator Robert C. Byrd was a legend in Washington. Everyone told Barack Obama, freshman Senator, that the most important person for him to get to know if he wanted to get ahead in the Senate was Robert C. Byrd (Obama, 73).
Byrd had three things to tell Obama (Obama, 99):
- Know the rules of the Senate. No legislation goes anywhere, ultimately, unless it follows the rules, especially legislation outside the norm.
- Take your time. Get to know how the Senate works. Know the process before you start campaigning for the presidency, as everyone was seeming to do.
- Finally, know the Constitution. Byrd carried a copy with him at all times. It's stood the test of time. Understand it. Use it. Respect it.
Byrd had one last thing to say to Obama about the "foolishness of youth," his membership in the KKK way back when. Byrd had regrets. "We all have regrets, Senator," Obama said, "We just ask that in the end, God's grace shines upon us."
Reference
Obama, Barack. The Audacity of Hope. Thought on Reclaiming the American Dream. Crown Publishers. 2006.