CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- People who disagree sometimes become the best of friends.

That's the story of the relationship between Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Ted Kennedy, who met nearly 50 years ago.

Sen. John F. Kennedy, Ted's older brother, won the West Virginia presidential primary on May 10, 1960. As a Catholic, Kennedy's victory in Protestant West Virginia was a huge step toward winning the Democratic nomination.

During that primary, Byrd campaigned against Jack Kennedy in the Mountain State. After Kennedy won the Democratic nomination, Byrd campaigned vigorously for him in the fall.

More than a decade later, in 1971, Byrd defeated Ted Kennedy to become Senate Majority Whip.

But after that, during the 1970s, the relationship between the two began to warm up.

Byrd was sworn into the Senate on Jan. 7, 1959.

"In the 50 years since then, he's become truly one of the greatest senators ever to serve in the Senate," Kennedy told the Sunday Gazette-Mail.

"I've served with Bob for 47 of those years. I have immense respect for him, and I'm proud to say we've become close friends.

"Bob Byrd's life is a tribute to the power of the American dream -- rising from humble beginnings, this son of the Appalachian coalfields reached the pinnacle of power and accomplishment through decades of hard work and unwavering dedication," Kennedy said.

Today, Byrd remains hospitalized after developing a staph infection. In an earlier interview, Byrd recalled his "strained relationship" with Kennedy, dating back to the 1960 primary.

That relationship "was further strained by the 1971 contest for Senate Democratic Whip, in which I unexpectedly defeated Senator Ted Kennedy," Byrd said.

"But, after I became Senate Majority Leader in 1977, our friendship began to warm. We developed a good, cooperative working relationship. Ted Kennedy became one of my most loyal supporters," Byrd said.

Both Byrd and Kennedy e-mailed replies to detailed questions for this article.           

Nearly two years ago, Byrd became the longest-serving senator in United States history -- on June 12, 2006.

Kennedy is not far behind.

Sworn into office on Nov. 7, 1962, Kennedy is the Senate's second most senior member today and third on the all-time Senate list, just behind the late Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C.

Their close friendship is all the more intriguing, given their diverse backgrounds.

Kennedy was always a political liberal. For years, Byrd frequently voted with conservatives.

Today, Byrd regrets his votes for the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution on Aug. 7, 1964, which helped escalate the Vietnam War, and against the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

 Born in Boston on Feb. 22, 1932, Kennedy grew up in an affluent family. He graduated from Harvard College in 1956 and the University of Virginia law school in 1959.

 Byrd was born in North Wilkesboro, N.C., on Nov. 20, 1917, as Calvin Cornelius Sale Jr. His mother died in a flu epidemic less than 11 months later.

When he was 2, Byrd moved to Bluefield, then later to Sophia, where he was raised by his mother's brother, Titus Dalton Byrd, who worked in the mines, and his wife, Vlurma Sale Byrd.

As a young man, Byrd pumped gas and worked as a butcher. During World War II, he welded ships in Baltimore and Tampa. He never formally graduated from college.

The depth of the Byrd-Kennedy friendship was clear on May 20, 2008. Byrd wept while speaking on the Senate floor after learning Kennedy was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

"My thoughts and my humble prayers are with Senator Kennedy, my dear friend Ted, with his wife, Vicki," Byrd said. "I hope and pray that an all-caring omnipotent God will watch over Ted and keep Ted here for us and for America."

When Kennedy collapsed from a seizure during President Obama's inaugural luncheon on Jan. 20, Byrd was so upset he also left the event.

Kennedy said, "Bob Byrd's commitment and love for the Senate and the country is total and complete, just as they are for the people of West Virginia and his beloved Erma, with whom he shared one of America 's great love stories."

Kennedy praised Byrd for being a "passionate defender" of the key role of the Senate under the Constitution and for being an "eloquent historian" of that body.

Kennedy joked that Byrd has served West Virginians "so brilliantly that it's often said the only reason the Washington Monument hasn't been moved to West Virginia is that it won't fit through tunnels along the way."

When Byrd cast his 17,000th Senate vote on April 1, 2004, Kennedy said, "Every time Bob casts a vote, he sets a new record. It is not fair, though, that he counts the votes he cast in the Roman Senate. But we love him anyway and we never stop learning from him."

Origins of a friendship

Both senators recall their rivalry to be selected as Senate majority whip.

Kennedy won that position after the 1968 election. But two years later, Byrd began campaigning for the post, after he won his third Senate term with 77.6 percent of the vote.

That's the story of the relationship between Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Ted Kennedy, who met nearly 50 years ago.

Sen. John F. Kennedy, Ted's older brother, won the West Virginia presidential primary on May 10, 1960. As a Catholic, Kennedy's victory in Protestant West Virginia was a huge step toward winning the Democratic nomination.

During that primary, Byrd campaigned against Jack Kennedy in the Mountain State. After Kennedy won the Democratic nomination, Byrd campaigned vigorously for him in the fall.

More than a decade later, in 1971, Byrd defeated Ted Kennedy to become Senate Majority Whip.

But after that, during the 1970s, the relationship between the two began to warm up.

Byrd was sworn into the Senate on Jan. 7, 1959.

"In the 50 years since then, he's become truly one of the greatest senators ever to serve in the Senate," Kennedy told the Sunday Gazette-Mail.

"I've served with Bob for 47 of those years. I have immense respect for him, and I'm proud to say we've become close friends.

"Bob Byrd's life is a tribute to the power of the American dream -- rising from humble beginnings, this son of the Appalachian coalfields reached the pinnacle of power and accomplishment through decades of hard work and unwavering dedication," Kennedy said.

Today, Byrd remains hospitalized after developing a staph infection. In an earlier interview, Byrd recalled his "strained relationship" with Kennedy, dating back to the 1960 primary.

That relationship "was further strained by the 1971 contest for Senate Democratic Whip, in which I unexpectedly defeated Senator Ted Kennedy," Byrd said.

"But, after I became Senate Majority Leader in 1977, our friendship began to warm. We developed a good, cooperative working relationship. Ted Kennedy became one of my most loyal supporters," Byrd said.

Both Byrd and Kennedy e-mailed replies to detailed questions for this article.           

Nearly two years ago, Byrd became the longest-serving senator in United States history -- on June 12, 2006.

Kennedy is not far behind.

Sworn into office on Nov. 7, 1962, Kennedy is the Senate's second most senior member today and third on the all-time Senate list, just behind the late Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C.

Their close friendship is all the more intriguing, given their diverse backgrounds.

Kennedy was always a political liberal. For years, Byrd frequently voted with conservatives.

Today, Byrd regrets his votes for the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution on Aug. 7, 1964, which helped escalate the Vietnam War, and against the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

 Born in Boston on Feb. 22, 1932, Kennedy grew up in an affluent family. He graduated from Harvard College in 1956 and the University of Virginia law school in 1959.

 Byrd was born in North Wilkesboro, N.C., on Nov. 20, 1917, as Calvin Cornelius Sale Jr. His mother died in a flu epidemic less than 11 months later.

When he was 2, Byrd moved to Bluefield, then later to Sophia, where he was raised by his mother's brother, Titus Dalton Byrd, who worked in the mines, and his wife, Vlurma Sale Byrd.

As a young man, Byrd pumped gas and worked as a butcher. During World War II, he welded ships in Baltimore and Tampa. He never formally graduated from college.

The depth of the Byrd-Kennedy friendship was clear on May 20, 2008. Byrd wept while speaking on the Senate floor after learning Kennedy was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

"My thoughts and my humble prayers are with Senator Kennedy, my dear friend Ted, with his wife, Vicki," Byrd said. "I hope and pray that an all-caring omnipotent God will watch over Ted and keep Ted here for us and for America."

When Kennedy collapsed from a seizure during President Obama's inaugural luncheon on Jan. 20, Byrd was so upset he also left the event.

Kennedy said, "Bob Byrd's commitment and love for the Senate and the country is total and complete, just as they are for the people of West Virginia and his beloved Erma, with whom he shared one of America 's great love stories."

Kennedy praised Byrd for being a "passionate defender" of the key role of the Senate under the Constitution and for being an "eloquent historian" of that body.

Kennedy joked that Byrd has served West Virginians "so brilliantly that it's often said the only reason the Washington Monument hasn't been moved to West Virginia is that it won't fit through tunnels along the way."

When Byrd cast his 17,000th Senate vote on April 1, 2004, Kennedy said, "Every time Bob casts a vote, he sets a new record. It is not fair, though, that he counts the votes he cast in the Roman Senate. But we love him anyway and we never stop learning from him."

Origins of a friendship

Both senators recall their rivalry to be selected as Senate majority whip.

Kennedy won that position after the 1968 election. But two years later, Byrd began campaigning for the post, after he won his third Senate term with 77.6 percent of the vote.

When the Senate Democratic Caucus met on Jan. 21, 1971, Byrd beat Kennedy by seven votes, 31-24.

"Senator Kennedy emerged from the leadership caucus surprised and embarrassed. But in defeat, he was magnanimous and showed great class," Byrd wrote in "Robert C. Byrd: Child of the Appalachian Coalfields," his 2005 autobiography.

Former President Lyndon Johnson, who called some senators on Byrd's behalf, was "ecstatic" at the outcome, according to Byrd.

Kennedy said, "Bob would go on to become one of the finest majority leaders in the history of the Senate, and the defeat freed me to concentrate on health care, education, labor, civil rights and all the other issues I care so deeply about."

The two worked even more closely together after Byrd became Senate Majority Leader in 1977, succeeding Sen. Mike Mansfield, D-Mont., who held that post since 1961.

"As the Majority Leader," Byrd said, "I needed Kennedy's help on many of the key issues of the period, and came to learn that I could count on his support in even the most trying and difficult of circumstances. Ted not only had the skills of an outstanding legislator, he had the courage and determination to stand with me on some very controversial issues of the period."

The friendship grows

Their friendship blossomed in the early 1980s, as Byrd and Kennedy worked to prevent President Ronald Reagan from ending social programs Democrats had created over many years.

Byrd said, "We developed an admiration for each other's abilities and that made a close friendship possible. I was the Senate minority leader at the time, and needed all the help and support I could get to slow down the Reagan right-wing glitz machine.

"Senator Kennedy was always there. I found him to be an indefatigable worker, who could accomplish what seemed to be legislative miracles," Byrd said.

"During these years, I came to love him as a true friend as well as a great senator."

Byrd played a major role on many issues during the Jimmy Carter administration, including returning the Panama Canal Zone to local people.

Kennedy cited two of "many wonderful memories" he has of working with Byrd.

"The first is the Iraq War. When President Bush put us on the course to war, few in Congress had the will or strength to question, let alone oppose, the rush to war. But Bob Byrd stood strong against it.

"Facing enormous pressure, he led the opposition. He was in the minority -- a lonely minority -- but he was unbowed. He was a profile in courage, and I'm sure that history will judge his leadership well."

The second vivid memory comes from the 2004, when Kennedy and Byrd traveled on a campaign bus from Charleston to Montgomery and down to Mingo and Logan counties.

"Wherever we stopped, you could feel the love and respect the people of West Virginia had for Bob Byrd," Kennedy said.

"The best part of every speech was when Bob would be shouting about the Bush administration and the Republican Congress and how we need to cut that 'diseased tree down.' He would shout as loud as he could, 'Cut it down!' 

"In the end, our party came up short in West Virginia," Kennedy said. "But I'll never forget our time together in those last few weeks of October."

Constitution, war and history

"I remember when I received my law degree from American University in 1963," Byrd said. "President John F. Kennedy gave the commencement address that day. In it, he proudly declared, 'The United States, as the world knows, will never start a war. We do not want a war.'"

President Kennedy personally handed Byrd his law diploma that day.

"In March 2003, all that changed when the Bush administration attacked the country of Iraq -- a country that had not attacked us. I dare say that no one in the Senate liked Saddam Hussein, and no one wanted him to remain in power.

"But launching an unprovoked war with another country is not the American way. Today, America's sons and daughters are still paying the price."

Byrd said the two senators witnessed too many wars during their lives, and believe too strongly in the Constitution, to let them "go along with the Bush administration's war policies. We were upset, angry, frustrated, and sad."

Byrd also remembers the day he celebrated his 63rd wedding anniversary with his late wife Erma at The Greenbrier in 2000. Kennedy sent a bouquet of 63 roses.

In June 2006, when Byrd became the longest-serving senator in U.S. history, Kennedy said, "It's impossible to imagine the Senate without Senator Byrd."

"Bob Byrd understands that the founders intended each branch of government to have powers that could place them in conflict, and that the powers Congress cedes to the executive today may have dire consequences for the nation tomorrow."

The two senators also share a love of history, poetry and dogs.

"Of all Bob's remarkable attributes, few have impressed me more than his ability to memorize and recite poetry. As a child, this was always one of my greatest challenges at school and I'm awed by Bob's extraordinary talent," Kennedy told the Sunday Gazette-Mail.

"His mind must hold hundreds of verses that he can recite at a moment's notice. One of my favorites describes our responsibilities as senators to address the causes of the challenges that confront us, not just the consequences."

Referring to an 1895 poem by Joseph Malens -- "An Ambulance Down in the Valley" -- Kennedy said, "The lesson it teaches is that it's better to build a fence around the edge of a cliff, than to keep an ambulance ready in the valley below."

"That's the principle Bob Byrd has followed throughout his brilliant career in the Senate. He's a senator for the ages."

Reach Paul J. Nyden at pjny...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-5164.