Robert Carlyle Byrd was an eminent 20th century American politician. His encyclopedic knowledge about the working of the Senate earned him great respect from his fellow legislators. He served the nation as a member of the United States Congress from 1953 to 2010. This made him the longest serving Congressman in the history of the country. In his youth, he was an active member of Ku Klux Klan and occupied the top post of the local chapter. When in Senate, he filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for 14 long hours. However, later he regretted his anti black stance and publicly apologized for it. In spite of that, he could never get rid of the taint. That he managed to direct huge amount of federal loan to his state was another bone of contention. In spite of that, he was a popular and respected leader and many legislators considered him as their mentor. During his long political career, Robert Byrd never stopped to work for the improvement of his state. Yet, he was equally involved in national as well as international issues. His position against Iraq War earned praise from many liberals.