Escorting the senators

Posted: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 1:47 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: Congress

From NBC's Ken Strickland and Doug Adams
Reelected Illinois senior Sen. Dick Durbin was escorted by Ted Kennedy to the well of the Senate to sworn in earlier today.

Traditionally, the senators are escorted by the other senator from the state. But for Durbin, there was no one: Roland Burris wasn’t allowed to be seated, and Obama resigned. So Durbin asked Kennedy to stand in.

Incoming senators are always accompanied by an escort. Usually that escort is the fellow senator from the state he or she represents. But in some cases others are allowed to stand in.

Lamar Alexander from Tennessee chose to have former Sen. Fred Thompson accompany him, along with the other Tennessee senator, Bob Corker.

Kay Hagan from North Carolina chose to have Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) -- the first elected female Democratic senator -- accompany her, along with her fellow North Carolina senator Richard Burr.

Tim Johnson, who was in a wheelchair, chose to be accompanied by former senator and Obama Health and Human Services nominee Tom Daschle.

Tom Udall from New Mexico chose to have outgoing Republican New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici accompany him.

Mark Warner chose to have outgoing Republican Sen. John Warner and fellow Virginia Democratic Sen. Jim Webb accompany him.

EMAIL THIS

Comments

Ohhh, poor Dickie Durbin. My heart bleeds for him. Let him throw a few earmarks on the stimulous bill, you know, to make him feel a little better.

Char Summers, GA (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 1:55 PM)

What a bunch of pompous lame-brains. They have the nerve to call this work?

Senator Dodd, CT (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 1:56 PM)

Let me guess. They played 'Send in the Clowns' during the procession.

Lou Jacobs (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 1:59 PM)

Traditions. Change. Perhaps we have an example of both. I don't fault the traditions as traditions say something about who we are. It is, indeed, an honor to be elected to the US Senate and these men and women have worked hard to be elected from their state. Change. Perhaps another way to approach the job of creating the laws for the country. Some Christian traditions pray for their leaders. Perhaps we should pray that these men and women put country first in these dangerous times.

Ron Indiana (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 2:10 PM)

-Rod may be a nut; and a pay to play (new terminology for quid pro quo) con artist; but, his statement whether sincere or not will help the country.
Does not completing Burris' creditendals give the IL Secerty of state veto power over a governor carrying out his constitutional duties? This is especially an amusement for Republicans and a distraction for Democrats.
This obsession of divided attention from parties needs to stop. Can't we Americans come together for the betterment of this country?

The Senate should try accompanying the business of the people of America who have lost their jobs and homes. Perhaps, Hamas' rockets would stop if the USA would stop pampering Israel. That's why we need all representation in Congress and Change, IMO. That would be change--no unnecessary war funding and no gridlock; we can't function with a dumb trillion dollar deficient.
=====================================
Nj (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 11:24 AM)
Burris was dumb to take this appointment. He knew this would happen. I am glad the DEMS said NO WAY
=======================================
NJ
I totally disagree; It was couragreous and unselfish. Burris was only thinking of the people; unlike B-Rod, in my humble opinion.

Beverly in Chicago (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 2:11 PM)

Teddy! Still waiting.

Mary Kopechne (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 2:15 PM)

Barney Frank got all exicted because he thought the Senators and their escorts were getting married.

LL, PA (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 2:16 PM)

Note to LL, PA -- you may have intended your remark to be a joke, but it was anti-gay all the same. Shame on you.

Shame on you (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 2:24 PM)

Luckily Durbin didn't have to cross any bridges with Ted Kennedy on his journey! I wasn't so lucky!

Mary Jo Koppechnie, Amherst, MA (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 2:29 PM)

What about David Vitter, hooker at his side, and in diapers?????

John T Busted. (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 2:32 PM)

Hi: Happy New Year.There is no legal reason why Mr. Burris can not be sworn. To the new governing party is a real good opportunity to show that there is a truth "SPIRIT" for change. Please,do not allow "politics" to go over the law, common sense, and what is better for the "PEOPLE". There has been 8 years of "politics" over common sense,and look who is paying for it,the "PEOPLE".Please do not be politicians but become workers for the "PEOPLE".I am sorry for my poor english.Thank you.

Julio Maldonado. Hatillo,Puerto Rico (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 2:39 PM)

What about David Vitter, and in diapers?????

John T Busted.

Your're thinking of Robert Byrd. It's Ted's job to manage that situation.

Jane T. (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 2:55 PM)

Note to LL, PA -- you may have intended your remark to be a joke, but it was anti-gay all the same. Shame on you.
Shame on you

----------

There should have been a disclaimer: "No gay people were hurt, either mentally or physically, during this post".

LL, PA (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 2:59 PM)

When they all got done, the Senators all looked around and asked, "Where's the black guy?".

Tommy Tomms, WI (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 3:06 PM)

So the bitter and defeated right wingers are still as catty as ever. LOL

Guys, your party lost badly in 06 and nw 08. You lost, shut up, sit down.

Daniel T. (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 3:10 PM)

Lou Jacobs:'...Let me guess. They played 'Send in the Clowns' during the procession...'

No, that song was use for W's first inaugaration
In 2004, they used 'You're No Good' for W's final inaugaration

MSierra, SF (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 3:12 PM)

So, in the spirit of 'Bi-Partisanship' will Norm Coleman accompany Al Franken ??

To help the 'healing process', you know

MSierra, SF (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 3:13 PM)

Wow. How cheap we hold our ideals and principles. A month ago when Blago was arrested, we were all appropirately shocked and angered. Throw the bum out we said. Now, for sheer entertainment we are willing to entertain the idea that any person he appoints "has the right" to be seated. Don't tell me that we have sunk so far, that for sheer entertainment we are willing to sell our values and our morals. Shame on you.

stumped (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 3:40 PM)

Well it is clear Obama is another hack. The token black man in charge. He didn.t have the scones to support the only other Black man who could have sit in the senate. And this holyier than thou crap. Obama came out of the same political machine as the rest of them. The governor is the governor until he is gone. Just like Bush is still president until 1/20 like it or not. this is a complete disgrace! Harry Reid has no legal right to withhold the seat. The last ime it was tried interestingly enough was with Adam claton Powell. Mr. Powell prevailed in an 8-1 Supreme Court decision. Sounds like business as usual.

And we all thought the republicans were bad!

tom Largo Fl (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 3:41 PM)

Stop the presses, alert the media this is big. This is probably the biggest story of the day, maybe the year. Holy cow! .....Now seriously, was it necessary to print this story? Who cares anyway?

eagle1776 (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 3:46 PM)

Now, for sheer entertainment we are willing to entertain the idea that any person he appoints "has the right" to be seated. Don't tell me that we have sunk so far, that for sheer entertainment we are willing to sell our values and our morals. Shame on you.
stumped
------------------------------------------
Guilt by association, then. Of course that means that anyone who has ever come in contact with Governor Blagojavich is mean, nasty, corrupt and unfit to live, right? I just thought I'd ask.

eagle1776 (Sent Tuesday, January 06, 2009 3:55 PM)

SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

Your name, city and state (John Doe, Seattle, Wash.):

Your e-mail address (jdoe@msnbc.com):

Your website (it's okay if you don't have one):

Remember me? (We'll keep it private) Remember me?

TRACKBACKS

Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/trackback.aspx?PostID=1734456