Opinion: Sen. Robert Byrd gives his annual speech on the Constitutzzzzzzzzzz

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Sen. Robert Byrd, Democrat, of West Virginia -- WE SAID, SENATOR ROBERT BYRD OF WEST VIRGINIA -- is the longest-serving senator in the country’s history.

And also the oldest.

Think of it this way: Byrd is almost a generation older than Sen. John McCain. And nearly twice as old as Barack Obama.

It takes a really long time to get to age 90. Not many make it, let alone those who somehow keep getting elected to the United States Senate by the fine folks in West Virginia, who must not spend a whole lot of time watching C-SPAN.

Currently, Byrd is third in line to the presidency of the United States.

Our colleague Frank James over at the Swamp has posted a video here of Byrd making his annual speech on the United States Constitution, as if no one has ever hailed it before. In the wondrous world of Washington this is regarded as a grand moment.

We should all watch at least a little of it just in case we sometimes think that these folks on the public payroll in Washington aren’t doing really, really important things.

In celebration of this totally tiresome annual event The Ticket is publishing two other Byrd videos here this morning. One is with ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel, who has an irreverent take on Byrd doing something on the Senate floor.

The second video actually centers on Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada speaking. But in the background we can see West Virginia’s senior senator in deep thought. (Please be very quiet as you watch.) How much are these guys getting paid an hour?

--Andrew Malcolm