The "caregiver" was not available for comment.
Posted on 06/02/2008 6:31:56 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W. Va.) was admitted to the hospital for the third time this year on Monday night, this time for overnight observation after suffering a high fever.
Byrd, 90, the longest-serving senator in U.S. history, was taken to a Virginia hospital in the early evening and will stay there overnight after feeling ill throughout the day, spokesman Jesse Jacobs said. Jacobs said Byrd had felt “lethargic and sluggish” throughout the day, but attended the lone Senate vote of the day, at 5:30 p.m. He was one of 14 senators to vote against debating a climate change bill.
Shortly thereafter, Byrd went home and reported the same symptoms to his caregiver. The caregiver discovered that Byrd had a fever and consulted the senator’s physician, who recommended a hospital visit, Jacobs said.
Byrd, who was elected in 1949 and now assumes the powerful Appropriations Committee chairmanship, was hospitalized briefly in February after a fall at his home and again in March for adverse reactions to medication.
Some Democrats publicly speculated his chairmanship duties should be distributed elsewhere, but the senator quieted his critics with strong leadership of an April 15 committee hearing on President Bush’s war supplemental measure.
Last month, Byrd brought spectators and reporters to a standstill with a dramatic, tearful speech for Sen. Edward Kennedy on the day the Massachusetts Democrat was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
Byrd flu?
He must have had a high fever.
One cuckoo flu over the rest.
The "caregiver" was not available for comment.
I think it was the cheeze grits and country ham that did it.
Is it getting hot in here or is it just her?
Maybe he’ll bring his own custom fitted sheets.
Probably just a blood pressure thingy after voting with a dozen or so GOP senators in the on going GW debate...
Dang...first the Cape Cod orca, now “Sheets?”
The Senate may be back in Repub hands before too long at this rate.
LOL! I have to say I didn’t see that one coming.
I thought he was convering for Teddy. Now who is covering for him? Lautenberg?
He’s been there LONGER than I’ve been alive!
That’s two Obama supporters in the Senate who have had health problems since Hillary’s warning.
If he assumed room temperature that would help “his cause...”
No disrespect Senator Sheets.
You know what guys, I have deplored, disliked, loathed and sworn at Ted Kennedy since I was a little girl.
Robert Byrd has been a bad actor since his political career started, he sees his life draining away with Ted’s misfortunes.
As a good Catholic, I wish no harm to either.
They have to meet St. Peter at the Golden Gate.
I have cared for elderly people for many years and I understand their fears, just human nature.
I would be remiss if I did not ask us all to be good harbingers of what we will face.
The deeds are done.
Pray for them to reconnect themselves with their Maker prior to passing.
Highly suspicious. Lady Rodham Macbeth strikes!
ROFL....good one. I think the old Senator is not long for this world and especially since his wife died. He's been very entertaining in his latter years. I say term and age limits on these politicians though...
Amen.
There really needs to be a mandatory retirement age of 75 for all government officials. There are millions of people who could give equal or better service to the country. The Founding Fathers never intended that elective office would be a lifetime career.
Hang in there, Sheets! We need your vote against the cap-in-trade bill!
And please take him home safely and swiftly, with as little discomfort as possible.
Amen.
/johnny
Sen. Byrd has been obviously out of it for years. It is a national embarrassment, the way we let him continue on in front of a podium, making a fool of himself. I’m not talking about his liberal Democratic leanings (which I disagree with), I’m talking about apparent senility.
I think keeping him in office is cruel, and a humiliation for the Senator and the state.
We need some sort of mechanism where our federal leaders are assessed for sanity. I guess that would make a mechanism of too great power.
Ultimately, the voters decided to put him in there, I guess. I can’t understand it, but there it is.
I pray he’ll heal up, and I pray he’ll stop “serving” as a Senator.
Jeez, I hope he’s OKKK.
Hell, Free Republic gets pretty noisesome itself.
I just hope the old man gets a soft ride home.
I remember reading about him in 1965 Star Telegram newspapers.
It's time to let things go.
/johnny
It's barbaric! BARBARIC!
That’s two Obama supporters in the Senate who have had health problems since Hillary’s warning
LOL Good one. They are a sneaky bunch.
LOL!
LOL. When you get to the point that your speeches consist of what must be two words per page in 72-point font, and there has to be an aide to collect your turned pages, it’s time to let it go.
<<< I was taught to pray for the elected leaders of our nation. God bless Senator Byrd.>>>
Since when was “Sheets” a leader of our nation?
He's in the top 10 for disaster preparedness replacement politicians.
Yes. That sucks. That's where we are.
My protect the top of the house kicks in when I hear about him being sick.
I am honor bound to protect any President or President elect, or one that might step in. I swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, and all the fiddly bits that go with it.
/johnny
That does have a certain ring to it....
"I think keeping him in office is cruel, and a humiliation for the Senator and the state."
I agree, but maybe he's trying to meet or break Strom's record. I certainly hope not.
Um, he’s already beaten Thurmond by almost 2 years.
"Um, he’s already beaten Thurmond by almost 2 years.
I was referring to age. Thurmond left office at age 100. Byrd is only 90. He has to hang on a few more years to beat that record.
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