Some people in life are just blessed with a magnetic personality. Strom Thurmond, the very senior senator of South Carolina, seems to be one of those special people. Looming larger than life in the Senate, Strom Thurmond has infused the government with his own special brand of nonsensical conservatism.

But like all legendary mortal men, Strom's influence over the Senate must come to an end. At 98, the once-strong senator's health is failing. In drama befitting his larger-than-life personality, Thurmond's Senate seat, once vacated, could disrupt the balance of the Senate and have strong implications on the national scene.

Thurmond is undeniably an American institution. He was first elected to the Senate in 1954 as a write-in candidate, and has been a presence ever since. Known as a friend of the common man in his home state, he has been re-elected every time he has run. He is so popular that Republicans counted his seat as their No. 1 stronghold.

As an old statesman, Thurmond holds some prime real estate in trust for the Republican party. He is the ranking member of the Senate's Armed Service Committee, holds a senior seat on the Judiciary Committee and also holds the senior chair on the committee for Veterans Affairs.

Even if Strom is not the most mentally lucid member of the Senate, Republicans feel his presence on these committees is beneficially benign.