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Subscribe to RSSUpdated 2:05 pm ET, Feb. 7. Vice President Biden swore in William "Mo" Cowan as senator from Massachusetts Thursday.
Cowan, a Democrat, will hold the seat until the special election to fill Secretary of State John Kerry's Senate seat (primary April 30, general June 25).
Cowan's swearing-in makes him the eighth African-American senator in U.S. history. There are now two serving African-American senators, one Democrat and one Republican (South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott).
This is the first time in U.S. history that two African Americans have served in the Senate at the same time.
Scott, in fact, was the first senator to greet him on the Senate floor, as Cowan's hand came off the Bible. The two spent several minutes talking and laughing afterward.
There were smiles all around as Cowan was sworn in, first on the Senate floor -- the official moment -- and then in the "mock"ceremony before cameras in the Old Senate Chamber. Both were conducted by Biden.
Kevin Wolf / AP
Sen. William "Mo" Cowan, D-Mass., right, shakes hands with Secretary of State John Kerry in the Old Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, following a re-enactment of his swearing-in as a Senator.
Cowan was escorted down to the well of the chamber by the man he will temporarily replace, Secretary of State Kerry, and his Massachusetts counterpart, Elizabeth Warren, now the senior senator from Massachusetts.
Cowan's former boss and the man who appointed him, Gov. Deval Patrick, was also on hand in the chamber. Prior to the ceremony, Kerry showed him around, pointing out his old desk and the contents of its drawer.
As Kerry moved on to attend to Cowan, Patrick had a seat at the desk.
Uh, not so fast.
The Sergeant-At-Arms approached and, according to Patrick later, told him he could stand on the chamber floor, but as a non-senator he was not permitted to sit there.
Recall that in his farewell last week, Kerry wept as he spoke of that same desk and how the Kennedy brothers, John F. Kennedy and Edward, had used it as senators. Patrick moved.
Then it was on to the mock ceremony, where Cowan and his family, including sons Miles, 8, and Grant, 4, waited along with Kerry and Warren for Biden. Miles, who informed Warren that he was deep into 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid,' was asked if he had anything to say.
"Fantastic!" he exclaimed to laughter.
A few minutes later, the veep arrived and again performed his duties, behaving himself this time and getting through the mock ceremony without shocking anyone.
"Its a great honor to be here," Biden told them. "I miss the place."
On his way out. Biden poked his head into Mitch McConnell's suite, grabbing some chocolate from the desk of a receptionist, then went around another corner and ended up in an embrace with a former staffer before leaving the Capitol.
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And now that Brown won't be running for the seat the Republicans are looking like fools! They didn't do the damage they thought they would by quickly confirming Kerry. Even when they think they have a lock on something, they lose! It is becoming the mantra for the Republican party - "We got it! We got it! We got it! Oops!"
Cowan is a decent fellow, unfortunately he is just a seatwarmer for the next old, white, crooked lifetime political hack Bulger Democrat to disgrace Massachusetts, probably the despicable old coot "Red Ed" Markey...
Scott Brown is currently in negotiations with Fox News as Palin’s Replacement
Oh, yeah, Massachusetts has had some real winner Democrats: Top of the list: the philandering fool, Teddy--guilty of at least vehicular manslaughter, maybe homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. No big deal, just keep voting him in. Now he is all but canonized by the left now that he's dead.
That state might be exhibit A to show that liberals are amoral.
quovadisusa - you don't want to talk amoral since all of the Republicans could not care less if someone poor lives or dies - provided THEY don't have to be bothered with them. You and your kind - with your "values" show daily you have NONE!
quovadisusa
"Oh, yeah, Massachusetts has had some real winner Democrats: Top of the list: the philandering fool, Teddy--guilty of at least vehicular manslaughter, maybe homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. No big deal, just keep voting him in. Now he is all but canonized by the left now that he's dead.
That state might be exhibit A to show that liberals are amoral."
Following that "logic", we will run completely out of ways to express the rampant amorality of the right as soon as they run completely out of states...
or airport men's rooms...
or other peoples stolen money...
or ancient, servile, heathenistically religiostic constitchencies... etc., etc.
One of the coolest things to come out of this is that now Elizabeth is the Senior Senator from MA. My, how time flies!
How many people responsible for vehicular manslaughter/homicide have the right put out there for re-election? Conservatives cast such individuals out. Liberals canonize them.
Warren? Tell the lie repeatedly and advance your career on that lie! Yup, great stuff from Massachusetts!
Why do I have this sudden flashback to a song by Paul Revere and the Raiders?
"The Cherokee nation will return, will return, will return, will return!!!!!!"
Seeking Sanity: Nice hasty generalization fallacy, lightly seasoned by ad hominems: Well done!
quovadisusa
You would vote for Laura Bush if she ran for office.
fl: She's not a candidate for anything... Try again.
As much as the Republican politicians get blamed for everything that goes wrong, and with all their "faults", I've never heard one of them claim to know what other people think.
quovadisusa - the Republican party has never cast anyone out for anything. Remember dear little Joe Scarborough whose aide was found dead in his office? The GOP NEVER turned him out. He decided not to run again because he knew it would come up during the election but the GOP NEVER turned him out.
HYPOCRITE!!!
Seems like African Americans are the only ones getting along fine (and in bipartisan fashion) in Washington.
quovadisusa
Try to read what I said again. Or at least have someone who can read to do it for you.
TO: jerryb-1604912 who wrote:
There are 2 reasons for that:
(1) Repulicans don't care what other people think; and
(2) Republicans don't listen to anybody anyway.
A Patrick lackey without a goat's chance of winning in the general. They do do a lot of back scratching in the People's Republic of Massachubetts.
Fl: I read what you said. you did not read what I said. Let me try again. People voted for Teddy after he killed MJK by vehicular manslaughter/homicide. Laura B. has never run for anything. BTW: how the hell would you know how I vote? I was no Bush fan either... Try again.
Seeking: Would that be the same Joe Scarborough now on "morning joe" on MSNBC-DNCNEWS? Libs love scandal don't they? The GOP didn't have to turn him out, he left on his own and the lefty news network embraced him. Is that really all you got? Scarborough compared to Teddy? Sad.
And you think Tim Scott is anything other than a seat warmer in South Carolina? lol
Joe Scarborough was never turned out by the GOP as I said. They stood behind him through the scandal of his aide's death. He CHOSE not to run for another term. And, unlike FOX, MSNBC has people with differing opinions on their network. They don't however, hire loons like Palin and Rove - that's all FOX>
And, yes, Scarborough is expected to have actually put his hands on his aide and killed her so he definitely equates to Ted Kennedy. The fact that you can't refute it and try your pathetic deflection shows what a deficient individual you are. Sad and nothing we don't expect from a little rightie who just got shown up!
Try again. Oh, and Laura killed someone and managed to accompany her hubby into the White House - and yes, you voted for the idiot Bush - twice!
SeekingSanity
you want to talk about loons, how about big babies to
check Mr. Ed out on this one
Seeking: DAYum: you must like being wrong. You're bloody good at it. Always seeking..never finding....
Good for Brown, good for Patrick, good for Cowan.
Want to bet Brown has decent employment lined up?
Massachusetts Governor Scott Brown, 2014!
TO: GOP Comeback 2014 who wrote:
Didn't the voters already kick him out of office once already and put a Democrat in his place?
I live in MA. and I never even heard of this guy before Patrick picked him.
TO: WilliamOfRites who wrote:
Now that is really ironic, because I don't live in MA and I have heard of him.
Congratulations, Senator Cowan and thanks for your service in this important, albeit brief, role.
I love that Elizabeth Warren is now the senior Senator from Mass!
Thanks for ruining our state and our country with these hacks.
Hey, whatcountry.Why not move to Afghanistan and live in a cave, or Peru and live in whatever they live in. Better yet, move to Iran where they seem as totally idiotic as you are. Go to Fools News. GTF outta this thread.
Hahaha, just have to move to Cambridge to be near Lizzy the fake Indian and the newest seat warmer. You people are crazy. Yea, and I'm the idiot. hahahaha. You are so progressive and tolerant. hahahaha
whatcountry - move anywhere you'd like - just please - not near me! Yuck!
yo country - YOU said it, so who am I to disagree with your assessment of YOURSELF...
It's a mistake for anyone to think they have a senate seat all tied up. That's how Brown ended up there in the first place. Martha Coakley obliged by losing it for him because she didn't think she had to actually campaign for it..
wonder why they mention 8 African American" if we're trying not to be racist no need to say 1st 2nd 3rd etc
and after what number do numbers become unimportant? 15 AA 23 Hispanic 100th Asian super bowl 47
after the 1st are the rest important? Never hear Mr Mccown is the 37th white senator from????
or first white woman to this or that first white woman to play football 1st white woman to ref a NFL game
the Oscars are coming up won't hear He/She is the 3rd white to win this ...
or 5 Hispanic or 1st asian but will hear 3rd African American Man/Woman to win.......
It really is Racist while trying not to be racist!
And I wonder why you didn't speak up about all this here 'a racism before you became a minority.
btw... You're the 3,674,714th White guy to win the False equivalency award regarding race. Congratulations!
Nice try chick - Don't you remember that it is liberals that have been supporting racial discrimination through Affirmative Action for decades. The left knows nothing other than to judge by color and not by character or qualifications. Should I give you more examples, or are you already at the point where you'll resort to name calling out of pure frustration? Maybe you'll throw terms like teabagger of faux news into your reply too... Have fun with that.
CharlesKaye - nice try but totally foolish to anyone with a brain!
TO: CharlesKaye who wrote:
I guess they wouldn't have needed "Affirmative Action" if they could have gotten jobs without it.
chick binder, and I wonder why you made your post at all. cheapster512 makes an important point. In trying to point out how non-racist we are as a country (bull pucky on that) the article makes it known just how racist we are in this country. Why don't you take your White guy False equivalency award and shove it up your butt. You just proved how racist you are.
chick binder, and I wonder why you made your post at all. cheapster512 makes an important point. In trying to point out how non-racist we are as a country (bull pucky on that) the article makes it known just how racist we are in this country. Why don't you take your White guy False equivalency award and shove it. You just proved how racist you are.
This is all big news - at least in the eyes of the liberal media. Why? Because they are incapable of looking at a person without seeing the color of their skin and making a determination of the person's qualifications from what they see.
It's ironic that MLK's party has done the exact opposite of what MLK preached... They've demonstrated over and over that color is more important than character or qualifications. Think not? The explain Affirmative Action, explain how a president could be re-elected with such a horrible record, explain why the lefty media makes such a big deal out of this new senators skin color... Have fun with that.
CharlesKaye - oh of course you're right because during the election all the liberals wore t-shirts saying "we want a black man in the White House." Oh, wait, that was conservatives who wore t-shirts saying "we DON'T want a black man in our White House." Sorry - my bad!
You truly are a blithering idiot and you've certainly proved it today!
nah - not "idiot" - reichwingnutreligionaziracist... afflicted with head uppa a$$itis.
WHO ???????????????????? Must be one the governor's cousins !
Cowan- 2016!
To all conservatives: Boycott the following and watch most of them rot:
* msnbc (where the butchy women have balls and weak, lispy men are awash in estrogen)...dead last in cable news and gets raked by sponge bob in time slot.
* cbs, abc, nbc - terrible, boring programing and slowly sinking in ratings vs cable. NEVER, EVER WATCH THESE CHANNELS
* CNN -near death as a news station, and relying on human crap like bloated Morgan to survive - constantly reshuffled station is a dead duck...BOYCOT IT AND KILL IT FOR GOOD.
* newsweak - someone bought it for a dollar and way over-paid...will be first major lib toilet paper diguised as a magazine to die, and good riddence.. I will throw a huge party when this trash death-spirals into its coffin of bankrupcy.
time -another crappy publication that pretends to be important..so near death that going to enet wont save it
* NY slimes - once if goes mostly to the net its dead...but it dead already but doesnt t know it yet. Pure biased, opining slop to the point of being unreadable let alone uninformative.
* scientific american - not science anymore, just opining faux-reasearch whores trying to justify their reasearch grants..once great but now PURE LIBERAL ARTS GARBAGE.
* entertainment weakly...told my fam that I pay the bills and dont want a political rag disguised as a girly pop magazine in my house,..worse yet its stupid girl politicing.
* Your local newspaper (if you live on the west coast or northeast...a moderate boycott by just the hard right in these states will kill these bird cage liners once and for all. newspapers are already paper thin and only bulked up with advertisement for junk you dont wnt to buy.
LET THE OBAMA-LEG-HUMPING, LIBERAL LAMESTREAM MEDIA KNOW THAT CONSERVATIVES PAY A DISPORPORTIONATE AMOUNT FOR THESE SUBSCRIPTIONS...IF YOU BOYCOTT THESE FINANCIAL MESSESS THEY WILL ROT.
IF YOU ARE SICK OF BIASED OPINERS WHO LIE AND CALL THEMSEVES JOURNALIST, THEN PUT THEM OUT OF BUSINESS...THE ABOVE ARE BARELY HANGING ON...SHOW THEM WHERE THE REAL POWER OF THE RIGHT IS.
LET THE LIBERALS SUBSIDZE THE ABOVE SLOP ON THEIR OWN ...and watch them die for lack of sales
***Copy and paste this on 25 blogs as I have done...and watch the butterfly effect that has alredy begun to hit near critical mass***
My goodness, you must REALLY be worried about the power of liberal thought to put all this energy into a misspelled post.
But I would be worried if I were you. Clock is ticking, fringe right wing...your 15 minutes is about up!
Yeah, just read the bible and watch Fox News!
Barely hanging on? You are the one who has totally lost grip of reality. I doubt there is enough tinfoil in the world to cover your paranoia.
@ someone else, so what should we be watching??? What is the alternative, reading the turner diaries??
Elizabeth Warren, senior Senator from MA. That didn't take long.
While it is true for the first time we have 2 black Senators, the process sucks, not the right reason, could have been a more qualified person rather than a friend of the Gov.
ROFL, seriously?? a black republican????............... Someday he will wake up and say "what was I thinking"
"two serving African-American senators, one Democrat and one Republican"
2 African-Americans serving in the US Senate for the first time in history. Both appointed, not elected. Hmmm.
Good choice for us here in MA. He will execute his job duties perfectly.
I thought Barney was going to be "tapped" to sniff that seat? Whatever happened to Massachusetts' gayest and most influential Queen? What, without the likes of Chris Dodd to egg him on, Barney can't bear to continue the carnage in DC?
It's a shame - and a sham - that Gov. Patrick thought so little of his country, and the very important legislative business at hand, that he decided to appoint his unqualified buddy to the senate. Exactly how will Cowan be an asset in the difficult and exceedingly important legislative battles looming over the next several weeks??? Cowan is dead weight on the senate floor - mere decoration. He has no experience, no connections, no congressional savvy -- nothing. There are plenty of others who would have been a far more valuable and effective apponitee than Cowan. Gov. Patrick thought it would be cool to appoint his best buddy. He obviously doesn't care about his country or the very serious crisis our nation is currently in. Sad and disgusting.
WE are all Americans!!!!!!!!!!!!! People !!!
" United we stand divided we fall!!!!!!!"
we welcome black republicans and any ethnicity for that matter . its you on the left whpo have the problem
honor king end racism
John. Cowan will walk lockstep with anything the Demodrones put out there