Capitol wanderings: Hagan to be sworn in
My colleague Jeri Rowe writes an open letter to Sen. Kay Hagan today as she prepares to be sworn in. As I write, that's a little more than three hours away.
The drill is this: At noon the Senate will convene and swear in the new members en masse. Then they'll run across the hall to the Old Senate Chamber and pose for a swearing-in shot complete with a bible and family and what not.
Other than on C-Span, you're not going to see the actual swearing in because they don't let news cameras on the floor. The bit in the Old Senate Chamber is a commemorative moment, but entirely fake.
Later in the day, Hagan will host an open house at her senate office and then head off to a reception.
Speaking of her office ...
When I wandered into town Monday, one of my first orders of business was to get credentialed so I could roam the buildings up here a little more freely. I saw Hagan on her way into the office, toting a very colorful flower arrangement.
I didn't think a lot of it at the time, other than to think that most sitting senators probably had staffers bring in their flowers.
But when I visited her temporary offices later in the day, the flowers made more sense.
Hagan is based in the basement of the Senate's Dirksen office building, across the hall from the stationary shop and within sight of a service corridor. Inside, the walls are plain white and the carpet is a brown that might charitably be described as coming from a desert palette.
Very blah.
The flower arrangement sitting near her desk was the only punch of color in the suite of offices.
Hagan is going to have to wait for her permanent digs until all the foolishness with the Minnesota and Illinois senate races/replacements is over with. The Senate is a creature of traditions, and seniority is taken very seriously there. Even small clicks in seniority given by the size of one's state or prior service in government can move you up or down in the pecking order for everything from office space to committee chairmanships.
I'll have more later today on Hagan's first day officially on the job.
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