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• Burns: Last of the dippers 

The amber streams of tobacco and saliva that flow from his mouth and into the nearest available trash can are a source of embarrassment for Conrad Burns. . . .

Burns' colleague, Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., insists that the former high school football referee and auctioneer should hold his head high, rather than hang it in shame. . . .

Tobacco is native to the Americas and played a central role in the success of the Jamestown Colony. It was the staple crop for the colonies, and according to the Joseph Roberts book, "The Story of Tobacco in America," it was so valuable that it was used as legal tender. During the American Revolution it was used to pay interest on loans from France and purchase supplies for the soldiers, according to Roberts. . . .

Burns' accuracy puts him head and shoulders above the men who filled the Senate during the 19th century. During that time a spittoon was located next to each desk on the Senate floor, but according to many observers senators often missed the mark.

While visiting the United States during the 1840s, the famous English author Charles Dickens was disgusted in general by Americans' use of tobacco and particularly amazed at the senators' poor aim.

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