The 116th Congress and Diversity!

The pictures of the day are so wonderful to see. Especially that shot of the dour, almost-all male GOP side contrasted with the diverse and colorfully-clothed Democrat side. It's a really grin-worthy show of contrasts.

This photo of Madame Speaker Pelosi says an awfully lot.

A Progressive™ friend is already bemoaning Pelosi's a Corporate Dem and we can kiss universal healthcare good-bye because of her wealth and investments or some shit before this round has even sat down and started any sort of real work. I told him in no uncertain terms to sit down and STFU.

ElaineA said:

The pictures of the day are so wonderful to see. Especially that shot of the dour, almost-all male GOP side contrasted with the diverse and colorfully-clothed Democrat side. It's a really grin-worthy show of contrasts.

This photo of Madame Speaker Pelosi says an awfully lot.

Click to expand...

Ha I want that photo posted everywhere in my life for at least the next month, maybe more! I had the vote on livestream on my second monitor at work, loving every minute of it. Just hearing Pelosi, Pelosi, over and over again...

Pink is the new red tie...

regdog said:

Proof of how Trump dislikes and fears powerful, intelligent women, particularly those who stand up to him was his stunt after Speaker Pelosi was sworn in. In the 2 years since he became president, Trump has never held a press conference in the White House briefing room, until yesterday. He walked into the briefing room unannounced and without taking any questions held an impromptu talk on about his wall.

The act of a truly weak man.

Click to expand...

I would only add Trump's non-press conference was a clumsy and overt attempt to jack the spotlight from Nancy Pelosi and the most diversified Congress ever. It face-planted because it was so transparent what the Orange Cheeto was going for.

Trump knew this was happening...

...Pelosi will preside over a House that is more diverse than ever before, with more women, more people of color, and more members of the LGBTQ community. This congressional session will feature the first Muslim women, Native women, and the first Latina woman sent from Texas. It also features several new leftist stars, including democratic socialists like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib, as well as a progressive caucus that has perhaps its biggest chance ever to show its strength.

...and as usual handled this news with his usual cool, calm, carefully considered manner. Psyche!

Or maybe it was Rep. Rashida Tlaib, (D-Mich), one of two Muslim women and the first Palestinian-American ever elected to Congress calling out Trump with an expletive that got him good and pissed off.

"When your son looks at you and said 'Mamma look you won, bullies don’t win,'" she appears to tell a cheering crowd. “And I said baby they don't, because we’re gonna go in there and we're gonna impeach the motherfucker.”

Oh dear. Pearls will be clutched. Quick! Fetch my fainting couch.

I lost most of yesterday as writing day watching video clips and scrolling through pictures. I loved seeing hijabs and Deb Halland's native Pueblo dress and the different books used for swearing in, and Sinema's faux fur stole (if anyone wants to see the clip of Pence swearing her in after she jokes about them supplying a spouse to stand by her, I will find it again).

This is one of the highlights:

One of the first things this freshman Congresswoman did was hang a trans flag outside her office

And on the GOP side, a lot of white guys in red ties!

Unsmiling white guys in red ties!

They're protesting against Ilhan Omar in my city today, Bellevue, WA. She's speaking at the Meydenbauer Center. I've not seen any news yet. I hope the protest against her is small.

Update: 5pm, event starts at 5:30. It is sold out and the news just reported, so far no protestors have shown up.