Apparently, the Senate Retirement Home Resident Life Committee has noticed that Senator Robert Byrd is old. Really, really old. And despite being so old he can't really get around or run an Appropriations Committee hearing without the assistance of aides, he's still chairing the committee- which, you'll recall, hasn't been able to complete its sole task of passing appropriations bills. This has some people plotting, naturally.

The Politico reports that there are rumblings about maybe calling Byrd Chairman Emeritus and forcing him to give up the duties of the chair to Senator Patty Murray (Washington). Byrd's aides, who are basically running the Senate Appropriations Committee, deny that there's a problem, the same way that the aides that propped up Strom Thurmond for a decade denied there was a problem with his senile ass for years.

Harry Reid, who needs someone around to make him look more competent at his job, also denied that Byrd's health, ability to move or mental faculties had anything whatsoever to do with the fact that the appropriations bills are nearly 3 months late and may never be passed. That's, naturally, all Bush's fault, which is why the approval ratings of Congress are as low as Bush's currently.

Dems consider ousting Byrd as appropriations chair [Politico]