To illustrate Strom Thurmond's courage, U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., told about a confrontation on Capitol Hill between an 80-something Thurmond and an irate tourist.

Biden and Thurmond were walking together toward the Senate to cast some votes. As they walked to an escalator, "along came a fellow who apparently held a longtime grudge against Senator Thurmond.

"A tourist literally interposed himself between me and Strom and said, 'If you weren't so old, I would knock you‘ .‘.‘.

"'I will knock you down.'‘"

Biden said he moved to get between the two men, thinking he was protecting Thurmond.

"Strom literally took off his coat and said, 'Hold my coat, Joe.'"

Biden said he was horrified. The thought of Thurmond mixing it up with a man many years his junior was not a pleasant one.

"I looked at him and said, 'No, no, no, no, no, no!' and with that, he went down and did 25 push-ups."

That exhibition completed, Biden said, Thurmond stood up and looked the man square in the eye.

"He said, 'If you weren't so young, I would knock you down.'‘"