'Longest Serving Senators,' 7 US Senators stayed in office for over 40 years, 25 held the office for over 34 years

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2/16/13, "The GOP's Nasty Newcomer," NY Times, Frank Bruni

Commenter on Free Republic to above NY Times article complaining about Ted Cruz:

 

"To: reaganaut1

 
"his nit-picking and his itch to upbraid lawmakers who are vastly senior to him"

Seniority is one of the major problems in the senate.

Senators think they are royalty and that once elected the senate seat belongs to them.

How much damage did Robert Byrd do to the country after he became senile but still held a seat in the senate?

LONGEST SERVING SENATORS

1. Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) - 51 years, 5 months, 26 days
2. Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI)- 49 years, 11 months, 15 days
3. Strom Thurmond (R-SC) - 47 years, 5 months, 8 days
4. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) - 46 years, 9 months, 19 days
5. Carl T. Hayden (D-AZ) - 41 years, 9 months, 30 days
6. John Stennis (D-MS) - 41 years, 1 month, 29 days
7. Ted Stevens (R-AK) - 40 years, 10 days 
8. Ernest F. Hollings (D-SC) - 38 years, 1 month, 25 days
9. Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT) - 38 years, 13 days
10. Richard B. Russell (D-GA) - 38 years, 10 days
11. Russell Long (D-LA) - 38 years, 3 days
12. Francis E. Warren (R-WY) - 37 years, 4 days
13. James Eastland (D-MS) - 36 years, 2 months, 24 days
14. Warren Magnuson (D-WA) - 36 years, 20 days
15. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) - 36 years, 13 days
16. Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) - 36 years, 13 days
17. Pete V. Domenici (R-NM) - 36 years
18. Richard Lugar (R-IN) - 36 years
19. Claiborne Pell (D-RI) - 36 years
20. Kenneth D. McKellar (D-TN) - 35 years, 10 months 
21. Milton R. Young (R-ND) - 35 years, 9 months, 22 days
22. Ellison D. Smith (D-SC) - 35 years, 8 months, 13 days
23. Allen Joseph Ellender (D-LA) - 35 years, 6 months, 24 days
24. William Boyd Allison (R-IA) - 35 years, 5 months
25. John McClellan (D-AR) - 34 years, 11 months

38 posted on Friday, February 15, 2013 10:11:22 PM by Iron Munro"

17D, 8R
 

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