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Senator Robert Byrd, the longest-serving member of Congress, has died early this morning at Inova Fairfax Hospital. He was not only the longest serving-member of Congress, but his rise in politics came from a humble background out of poverty and the KKK.

He was reported as passing away peacefully in his sleep. Originally elected to the House of Representatives in 1952, he became a senator seven7 years later. West Virginia law directs the governor to appoint a replacement, and Govenor Joe Manchin  is expected to announce his replacement, who will serve the balance of the term which expires in 2012. He was an outspoken Iraq war critic and in recent years often used a wheelchair to attend to his functions.

Last week he was thought to be suffering from dehydration and heat exhaustion which led to his hospitalization, but officials reports other conditions developed which led to his death.

He was a member of the KKK, a white supremacy group, in his younger years, and also joined in a filibuster against the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Later he not only denounced this previous allegiance and membership but championed for Civil Rights.

He most recently served on the appropriations committee, which is a very powerful appointment in Washington. Arrangements have not been announced.

Comments made by his colleagues:

Byrd's fellow West Virginia Democrat, Sen. Jay Rockefeller:

It has been my greatest privilege to serve with Robert C. Byrd in the United States Senate. I looked up to him, I fought next to him, and I am deeply saddened that he is gone. He leaves a void that simply can never be filled. But I am lifted by the knowledge of his deep and abiding faith in God, I have joy in the thought of him reunited with his dear Erma, and I am proud knowing that his moving life story and legacy of service and love for West Virginia will live on.

Senator Byrd came from humble beginnings in the southern coalfields, was raised by hard-working West Virginians, and triumphantly rose to the heights of power in America. But he never forgot where he came from nor who he represented, and he never abused that power for his own gain.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.):

Sen. Byrd combined a devotion to the U.S. Constitution with a deep learning of history to defend the interests of his state and the traditions of the Senate. We will remember him for his fighter's spirit, his abiding faith, and for the many times he recalled the Senate to its purposes. Generations of Americans will read the masterful history of the Senate he leaves behind, and they will also read about the remarkable life of Robert Carlyle Byrd.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.):

Day after day, Senator Byrd held forth on the floor of the Senate not just on the issues of the moment, but by providing an institutional and historical context for our deliberations. He was not just the President pro tempore of the Senate, he was also the Guardian of the Senate and our connection with the 'mystic cords of memory.' His distinctive voice elevated our contemporary debates and tied our work to the history of humankind. His knowledge of the Bible and of the classics was extraordinary and moving.

Tags: Jay Rockefeller, Joe Lieberman, Joe Manchin, Mitch McConnell, Robert Byrd, West Virginia