That remains to be seen, as does the question of how it will be filled.

Gov. Joe Manchin says he will not appoint himself to fill the U.S. Senate vacancy created by the death of West Virginia Sen. Robert C. Byrd.

Manchin told The Associated Press there is no timetable for him to consider a replacement for Congress' longest-serving member.

Manchin says his decision will be an important one because of the effects climate change and mining debates in Congress and at the federal level will have on the state.

The governor says his first priority is to honor Byrd's family's wishes regarding a memorial for the 92-year-old Democrat.

To that end, I'd like to propose an appropriate memorial to the memory of the former Ku Klux Klan Kleagle and Exalted Cyclops whose entry into politics was at the suggestion of KKK leaders.

No word yet on whether or not Manchin intends to manipulate the timetable so as to deprive West Virginians of the ability to vote for their own Senator.