Ladies and gentlemen, we have a Democratic Congress for the first time in 12 years.
Dick Cheney swears in the first batch of Senators.
Majority leader Harry Reid: “With the opening of the 110th Congress and the beginning of new Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, it’s time to start moving America forward. Guided by the spirit of bipartisanship, Democrats are ready to take this country in a new direction.”
San Francisco Chronicle on the woman third in line for the presidency: “There is an aura of high expectation about Pelosi’s ascension in the San Francisco Bay Area, not only because of what her role means for this region’s clout in the nation’s capital, but also because her dignity and capabilities are so well known here. Pelosi has represented San Francisco in Congress since 1987. As a rank-and-file member and more recently as Democratic leader, Pelosi has proved adept at building alliances with a charm undergirded by the toughness and shrewdness of a veteran who has navigated the shark-infested political waters of San Francisco.”
Odd quote from SF Mayor Gavin Newsom: “We look forward to the rest of the country appreciating the real San Francisco values, of diversity and a city of dreamers…You can only exploit the gay community so much … They’re going to see there’s so much more to San Francisco.”
Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), attacked by Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA) after he was the first Muslim elected to Congress, today introduced himself to Goode on the House floor.
Outgoing Speaker Dennis Hastert takes a back seat…
