Byrd Dead

So the grand old Senatorsaurus has finally met his asteroid and gone extinct.

Even on news of his death, it's hard to find a good word for Robert Byrd - the guy who once bemoaned "this beloved land of ours" becoming "degraded by race mongrels".

But Byrd went from Exalted Cyclops of the KKK to endorsing Obama in 2008; from fillibustering civil rights to a yes vote on MLK Day... He was a walking contradiction and a microcosm of America itself. So let's cut the f*cker a bit of slack in death and not feel too sanctimonious. The guy didn't reelect himself 8 times.