@The Senate
So last night around 10pm I was ... reading about health care when I stumbled on the following comment on a political blog:
OKAY!
We can get in to see the vote from the gallery!
Come ON --
If you are working in DC, vote's so early you can do both!
If you have time off, metro or drive in -- it's lovely to be on Capitol Hill at sunrise!
I had always assumed it would be very difficult to get into the Senate chamber, but this comment seemed to indicate anyone could come.
So I left home around 5 am took the train and finally got to the Capitol Building around 5:50 am.
It was VERY COLD. And we had to wait for a while.
There was a small crowd there and about half a dozen protesters (of the Teabagger variety).
The Capitol building seems like a pretty normal large office building, the only difference is that SECURITY IS EVERYWHERE(literally every 10 feet it seemed like).
They are pretty nice and friendly though.
So it seems normally you have to apply for a pass from your senator before you can even get in the building, but it looks like they made an exception today due to the unusual circumstances.
But it still seemed like everyone else had "Senate gallery passes" from somewhere so I kind of had to bluff my way through one security checkpoint by confidently proclaiming "WHAT!!? NO ONE TOLD ME PASSES WERE REQUIRED!!!" with a look of great innocence.
It worked. I guess I'm like the Salahi's now ;-)
The other major thing is that no cameras, cellphone, etc. are allowed in the Senate Chamber . Which kind of sucks, how are you going to prove you were actually there? I felt very naked without my Blackberry.
So anyway, I checked in my blackberry and after a lot of twisty passages I finally arrived at the Senate Chamber Gallery. It seemed smaller than it looks on TV.
But it was kind of awesome.
Joe Biden was president (of the Senate) so he sat on the desk on a raised platform at the front of the room and pretty much did nothing.
Lieberman (I-CT) seemed in an awfully good mood, he spent most of his time joking around with Susan Collins (R-ME) and John McCain(R-AZ).
Patty Murray(D-WA) and Barbara Boxer(D-CA) just look totally adorable in person. You just want to give them a big hug.
Bob Corker(R-TN) and Jeff Sessions(R-AL) have a faintly ridiculous air, like little boys wearing clothes a size too big.
(To be Continued ...)
OKAY!
We can get in to see the vote from the gallery!
Come ON --
If you are working in DC, vote's so early you can do both!
If you have time off, metro or drive in -- it's lovely to be on Capitol Hill at sunrise!
I had always assumed it would be very difficult to get into the Senate chamber, but this comment seemed to indicate anyone could come.
So I left home around 5 am took the train and finally got to the Capitol Building around 5:50 am.
It was VERY COLD. And we had to wait for a while.
There was a small crowd there and about half a dozen protesters (of the Teabagger variety).
The Capitol building seems like a pretty normal large office building, the only difference is that SECURITY IS EVERYWHERE(literally every 10 feet it seemed like).
They are pretty nice and friendly though.
So it seems normally you have to apply for a pass from your senator before you can even get in the building, but it looks like they made an exception today due to the unusual circumstances.
But it still seemed like everyone else had "Senate gallery passes" from somewhere so I kind of had to bluff my way through one security checkpoint by confidently proclaiming "WHAT!!? NO ONE TOLD ME PASSES WERE REQUIRED!!!" with a look of great innocence.
It worked. I guess I'm like the Salahi's now ;-)
The other major thing is that no cameras, cellphone, etc. are allowed in the Senate Chamber . Which kind of sucks, how are you going to prove you were actually there? I felt very naked without my Blackberry.
So anyway, I checked in my blackberry and after a lot of twisty passages I finally arrived at the Senate Chamber Gallery. It seemed smaller than it looks on TV.
But it was kind of awesome.
Joe Biden was president (of the Senate) so he sat on the desk on a raised platform at the front of the room and pretty much did nothing.
Lieberman (I-CT) seemed in an awfully good mood, he spent most of his time joking around with Susan Collins (R-ME) and John McCain(R-AZ).
Patty Murray(D-WA) and Barbara Boxer(D-CA) just look totally adorable in person. You just want to give them a big hug.
Bob Corker(R-TN) and Jeff Sessions(R-AL) have a faintly ridiculous air, like little boys wearing clothes a size too big.
(To be Continued ...)