Sen. Byrd's wife dies

News:

Funeral services for Erma Byrd, the wife of West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd, will be held Saturday in Virginia.

Erma Byrd died over the weekend at the couple's home in McLean, Virginia, after battling an illness for five years. She was 88.

The family says funeral services are scheduled for 2 p-m Saturday at the Memorial Baptist Church in Arlington, Virginia, with several West Virginia ministers participating. Burial will be at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington.

Two thoughts:

1. My heart goes out to the Byrd family. May she rest in peace, and may her family find strength to cope.

2. Her funeral is Saturday. My cynical self can't help but wonder if it will be a funeral, or another Democrat pep rally a la Paul Wellstone and Coretta Scott King. Maybe our ol' friend Snookums can let us know ahead of time if we can expect this to be one of those...how did she describe them? Oh, right: a "political" funeral!