Word: whips
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...number of political pundits have pointed out, the crucial factor underlying Byrd's liberal support was the fact that virtually every one of his colleagues owed him a political debt of one sort or another; Byrd had skillfully used his position as majority whip to curry favor among his colleagues by aiding them in putting through pet pieces of legislation. Of course the liberals came up with a number of rationalizations for their support of Byrd, the primary one being that with a Democratic president in the White House, the Majority Leader's ideology was relatively unimportant...
...Mansfield, now retired after 16 years in the post? Hardly a popular Senate member or even a "Club" insider, Byrd has made the Senate work. He has labored relentlessly and generally with fairness to satisfy the whims and needs of his fellow Democrats. During his six years as majority whip, Byrd has stayed on the floor through long dreary hours, rounding up Senators for an important vote or delaying action on a bill when a legislator was on a campaign tour, a junket or simply a binge. Byrd's skills have earned him numerous chits, which he has been cashing...
...With his seat securebills favored by labor unions, and doling out some of his unused campaign money to liberal as well as conservative Democrats. In 1967, he took over the obscure and little-wanted post of secretary of the Senate Democratic Conference. Byrd quickly ingratiated himself with the majority whip, Louisiana's Russell Long, who then was drinking heavily and neglecting his duties. Soon Byrd was doing Long's errands and collecting lous. After Ted Kennedy upset Long for the whip's seat, in 1969, Byrd performed the same tasks for the Massachusetts Senator, who had little enthusiasm...
...Republican side, the favorite to succeed the retired Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania as minority leader is Michigan's Robert Griffin, 53, one of Gerald Ford's closest allies. Griffin might be challenged by Tennessee's Howard Baker. Another Ford ally is in line to succeed Griffin as minority whip: the now familiar Senator from Kansas, Robert Dole...
...Republican side. Minority Whip Robert Griffin of Michigan, 53, seems to be far ahead of any rivals for the job of minority leader, his party's top Senate post. Tireless and even-tempered, he suffers from a lackluster speaking style. If successful, Griffin would become the G.O.P.'s highest elected officeholder and, like the party's national chairman, an important articulator of Republican policy. As it happens, the present G.O.P. chairman, Mary Louise Smith, an Iowa housewife, announced last week that she would resign. That sets the stage for a battle royal between conservatives and moderates...