The Senators' Day to Grin and Swear It
Jeff Merkley's family beams as the Oregon senator is sworn in by the Veep.
(By Charles Dharapak -- Associated Press)
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Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Static on the police walkie-talkie.
"We have an arrival. Be advised. We have an arrival."
Cue motorcade.
It's party time, Capitol Hill style. Swearing-in day. Here come the motorcycles. Roaring. Lots of them, and limousines and SUVs, with gun barrels visible through the open rear windows. So festive!
Of course, there was that little unpleasantness yesterday over at the clubhouse with the party crasher, the kinda/kinda not senator-designee from Illinois. But once Blago's guy, Roland Burris, had been sent away because he didn't have a proper invite (that would be those certification papers from the Illinois secretary of state), the Senate was free to fete itself.
And oh, what fun they had. They got sworn in once for the record in the Senate chambers, then many of them traipsed down the hall to the ceremonial Old Senate Chamber to be sworn in one more time.
That second time is just for fun. They call it a "reenactment."
Really.
Oh, and it's a heckuva photo op. Vice President Dick Cheney, with that slanted grin of his, does the "I solemnly swear" duties. Then the fam crowds in. Kids, grandkids, aging parents, in-laws. Sen. Frank Lautenberg herds an entourage of two dozen or so into position for snaps with the VP. Fifth time he's been sworn in. It never gets old.
"Looks like all of New Jersey is up there," a photographer says.
Then again, at any party, there are always those guests who just want more, more, more. Two swearing-ins aren't enough for one of the Senate's newbie Democrats, Mark Begich of Alaska.
Begich does swearing-in No. 1 in the Senate chamber, then places his hand on a Bible provided by Cheney for swearing-in No. 2. Cheney is about to say goodbye, but Begich's wife, Deborah Bonito, produces a Bible of their own.
