History of the Senate desks
January 4, 2007 10:47 AM Subscribe
From the Candy Desk to the Cherokee Strip, the desks in the U.S. Senate Chamber have a long and fascinating history.
Wonderful post. Lots of entertaining tidbits and history to learn. I like the clickable Senate Chamber Map as well. Nice site.
posted by nickyskye at 11:03 AM on January 4, 2007
posted by nickyskye at 11:03 AM on January 4, 2007
Great find. I can understand the Henry Clay and Daniel Webster desks, but why does Jefferson Davis get one?
And further proof that our legislators do not mature beyond gradeschool.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 11:08 AM on January 4, 2007
And further proof that our legislators do not mature beyond gradeschool.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 11:08 AM on January 4, 2007
Excellent. I was seriously thinking about these the other day. Thanks for posting.
posted by moonbird at 11:24 AM on January 4, 2007
posted by moonbird at 11:24 AM on January 4, 2007
Wow. Great stuff.
posted by blahblahblah at 11:32 AM on January 4, 2007
posted by blahblahblah at 11:32 AM on January 4, 2007
Great post. (Seems like people have perversely saved their best posts for January, after the contest is over!)
posted by languagehat at 11:49 AM on January 4, 2007
posted by languagehat at 11:49 AM on January 4, 2007
TV, I think the Jefferson Davis one is to uphold the idea of civility - that Isaac Bassett kept the adversary's desk from being destroyed.
posted by notsnot at 11:50 AM on January 4, 2007
posted by notsnot at 11:50 AM on January 4, 2007
On a somewhat-related link, have you ever wondered what it looks like in the basement of the Cannon House Office Building when there's a signficant turnover? Wonder no more!
posted by MrMoonPie at 11:55 AM on January 4, 2007
posted by MrMoonPie at 11:55 AM on January 4, 2007
Why in the hell does the Republican side get the Candy Desk? So they can taunt children with it?
posted by loquacious at 12:51 PM on January 4, 2007
posted by loquacious at 12:51 PM on January 4, 2007
[this is good] Little things like this fascinate me. Sure, you have your laws, bills, and filibusters...this is how we see lawmakers are real people.
posted by MrGuilt at 1:17 PM on January 4, 2007
posted by MrGuilt at 1:17 PM on January 4, 2007
Nifty link!
My wife used to work at a firm where the office manager kept a "candy drawer" in her desk and filled it weekly. Who knew it was a Senatorial tradition like the Bean Soup.
posted by briank at 1:36 PM on January 4, 2007
My wife used to work at a firm where the office manager kept a "candy drawer" in her desk and filled it weekly. Who knew it was a Senatorial tradition like the Bean Soup.
posted by briank at 1:36 PM on January 4, 2007
I actually did not know that there was so much flexibility in desk placement that they (usually) keep each party on either side of the center aisle, although in most of the 19th century they divided the seats equally.
Today all of Constantine's desks remain in use in the current Senate Chamber, although his chairs have been replaced.
Wow. I suppose the Senate Cabinet Shop is capable of keeping them going for quite a bit longer. You wonder if any will ever become so fragile that they must be taken out of service.
posted by dhartung at 7:15 PM on January 4, 2007
Today all of Constantine's desks remain in use in the current Senate Chamber, although his chairs have been replaced.
Wow. I suppose the Senate Cabinet Shop is capable of keeping them going for quite a bit longer. You wonder if any will ever become so fragile that they must be taken out of service.
posted by dhartung at 7:15 PM on January 4, 2007
This is awesome. I like seeing the list of senators who've used each desk. One of my Senators has shared his desk with some pretty amazing people.
posted by SisterHavana at 10:06 PM on January 4, 2007
posted by SisterHavana at 10:06 PM on January 4, 2007
Today's Wall Street Journal (free) page one: "In New Senate, The 'Candy Desk' Gets a Kiss-Off" For more than a decade, Rick Santorum stocked the Senate "candy desk" with donations from Pennsylvania candy makers. But with Santorum gone, the desk has been turned over Craig Thomas from Wyoming -- and that's a big problem.
posted by pithy comment at 4:55 AM on January 5, 2007
posted by pithy comment at 4:55 AM on January 5, 2007
In Wyoming, some small outfits sell esoteric sweets, such as chocolates designed to look like moose droppings.
posted by pithy comment at 4:56 AM on January 5, 2007
posted by pithy comment at 4:56 AM on January 5, 2007
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posted by keswick at 10:53 AM on January 4, 2007