Election Day saw ten freshmen sent to the U.S. Senate. Nine of them have been on Capitol Hill this week, learning the ins and outs and voting for leadership positions in their respective parties. Senator-elect Claire McCaskill isn’t in the Nation’s Capitol. Spokesman Adrianne Marsh says McCaskill was given a pass on orientation so she could vacation with her family after what Marsh calls a particularly hard campaign. Marsh adds McCaskill cleared her plans with Democratic Senate Leader Harry Reid. McCaskill’s votes were made by proxy, as were her requests for committee assignments. McCaskill has asked for seats on two top committees: Government Reform and Armed Services. She should find out in the next week or so whether she is successful in her quest. Outgoing Senator Jim Talent currently holds a seat on the Armed Services Committee.
