WASHINGTON, D. C.- Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W. Va.) an almost unknown legislative technician, ousted Mass, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy from the number-two Senate Democratic leadership post yesterday in a stunning blow to Kennedy's party stature.
Ironically, Byrd told newsmen, he would have avoided the contest if Sen. Richard Russell of Georgia had died before the party caucus started in mid-morning.
Russell died about four hours later.
Byrd, who has made a career of doing favors for his colleagues in the number-three leadership job, out-counted Kennedy in a showdown decided 31 to 24 by secret ballot in the caucus held just before the 32nd Congress convened.
Kennedy went into the caucus thinking he had 28 "face-to-face" commitments to retain the whip job he won two years earlier by defeating Sen. Russell B. Long of Louisiana, 31 to 26.
That would have been just enough to win with 55 Democratic Senators in this Congress. But Byrd told reporters he did not finally decide to make the race until he was certain he had 28 votes.
The 28th vote, he said, was a proxy from Russell, lying critically ill at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
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