Interesting and poignant scenes as the 111th Congress begins --

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: January 6, 2009
Let the 111th Congress Begin
By Kate Phillips


Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his wife Jill and Vice President Dick Cheney. (Stephen Crowley/NYT)

Within the Senate chamber just after noon, a noticeable shift in desks to the Democratic side — signaling the growth of its majority — marked the start of the 111th Congress.

Four by four, new senators and those re-elected to another term walked up to be sworn in just moments ago. Senator Joseph Biden Jr., the vice-president elect, beamed as he stepped forward to be officially sworn in, and carried a large Bible. He will soon be resigning his Delaware seat to assume the vice-presidency, and Ted Kaufmann, a longtime aide to Senator Biden, has already been named to replace him.

Perhaps the most poignant moment occurred when Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who has been battling brain cancer, hobbled a bit with the help of a cane, as he escorted Senator Dick Durbin for the ceremonial swearing in. One colleague after another reached out to hug or shake hands with Mr. Kennedy, who is serving his seventh term in the Senate.

In addition, for a short while there, Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential nominee sat alone, hands folded in his lap but smiling as he watched the ceremony.

Other notable faces who will be leaving the Senate soon or who are about to become major players in the incoming Obama administration were Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton, the nominee for Secretary of State and Ken Salazar, the nominee for Secretary of the Interior.

Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, who lost re-election to John Thune in 2004, returned to the chamber today as the escort for Senator Tim Johnson, who was just re-elected after suffering a stroke a few years ago. Mr. Daschle, whose top aides went on to become prominent campaign strategists for Barack Obama, also will be assuming a critical post as the health policy czar. His confirmation hearing to be Health and Human Services Secretary is this Thursday....

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/06/let-the-111th-congress-begin/

[Solly Mack]

1. Look at him. America's war criminal VP...just smiling..like everything

is AOK. Without a care in the world. And we tolerate it.

What a farce

[SharonRB]

2. That's some Bible.

Jill can barely lift it.