WASHINGTON — As the Senate opened for business Tuesday, there was Joe Biden -- who soon will resign his seat in the chamber to assume the vice presidency -- standing in one corner. Not far away sat John McCain, the Arizona lawmaker who lost the White House to Biden's running mate, former Sen. Barack Obama.
On the other side of the room was Hillary Rodham Clinton, who lost the Democratic nomination to Obama but will probably leave the Senate soon to serve as secretary of State. Close by sat Joe Lieberman, the Democrat-turned-independent who nearly was tossed out of the Democratic caucus for supporting McCain.
If that cast weren't enough, the opening session was presided over by outgoing Vice President Dick Cheney.
But the mini-drama inside the chamber was surpassed by events beyond its doors.
Roland Burris, who was named by embattled Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich to fill Obama's seat, attempted to gain admittance to the Senate but was turned away because of incomplete paperwork. Illinois' secretary of state has refused to certify Burris' appointment.
And though Minnesota's canvassing board Monday certified the results of a recount that showed Al Franken defeating Republican incumbent Norm Coleman by 225 votes, Senate Democrats have decided not to seat the former "Saturday Night Live" comedian until legal challenges are resolved.
Though the new Senate is far from a settled place, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday called for Republicans and Democrats to come together, saying both parties had "learned an important lesson over the past two years."
"When we allow ourselves to retreat into the tired, well-worn trenches of partisanship, when we fail to reach for common ground, when we are unable, in the words of President-elect Obama, to disagree without being disagreeable, we diminish our ability to accomplish real change," Reid said.
Adding to the uncertainty is the likelihood that one New York Senate seat will open up, assuming Clinton resigns. Caroline Kennedy, the niece of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), is a leading contender. If she isn't appointed by Gov. David Paterson, the job could fall to a member of another famous political family: Andrew Cuomo, the state's attorney general.
