So how's all that pork working out for you, West Virginia?

I've always had a great fondness for West Virginia. A large percentage of mother's clients came from there to work in Columbus's factories, and while in Columbus, they often got in trouble, with the law, with their wives, and with other West Virginians in rundown bars, which we called beer joints. That's where mother came in. My uncle claimed that there was a tunnel leading from West Virginia straight to mother's office.

You'd never want to meet nicer, more open-hearted people. Though poor, they would give you the shirts off their backs. And they adored mother. Another point in favor of the state was that, when Virginia seceded from the Union, West Virginia seceded from Virginia. Take that, you aristocratic slave-holding planters!

Byrd was well known for bringing home the pork. Does that mean West Virginia was prosperous? Did he leave the place better than he found it?

Hell no!

West Virginia's relative median household income is 51! among the 50 states. I don't know whether this proves that Obama was onto something when he talked about visiting all 57 states.

It's tied with Arkansas at #5 among the states for poverty.

So all West Virginia has to show for his efforts is a bunch of federal buildings, highways, etc, named after the old dodderer, and the occasional statue of him.