All Blog Posts from Couric & Co.

Allison Davis O'Keefe is a reporter for CBS News in Washington.

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As journalists in Washington, we have the chance to witness history in the making – laws written, monumental speeches given, relationships formed and broken – but it is not every day that we get the chance to see actual ink on the pages of history.

This morning I attended the unveiling of a note that Abraham Lincoln wrote on War Department (the predecessor to the modern day Department of Defense) letterhead to one of his Civil War generals. Historians knew that this note existed and have written about it in the course of progress of the Civil War but the discovery of the letter intact and in good condition was a "Woohoo!" moment for Civil War specialist Trevor Plante.

Plante was helping the Discovery Channel with a Civil War documentary set to air in the fall when he came across a piece of paper that seemed out of place. “I recognized the handwriting.” Obviously Plante and the writings of Abraham Lincoln have spent many hours together. “I was surrounded by no one in this small dark room.” It might have seemed anti-climatic at the time, but this morning Plante was all smiles as he carefully removed the acid-free protector covering Lincoln’s note to a room full of cameras.

At the end of the press conference, we were allowed to come up to the table and see the letter up close. “Please keep a safe distance” said one document handler. “We don’t want breath and drool on the original documents.” No drool here. But it was close enough to take a long, good look at Lincoln’s signature and exercise my true passion with a few quick photographs. Kneeling on the ornate rug in a room lit by chandelier, it was hard to ignore this a personal historical moment. History buff or not, staring at an aging piece of paper on which one of the most famous figures in history signed his name is pretty darn cool.

My husband proposed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial here in Washington. He says that not only is it is favorite monument, but that he admires President Lincoln for his honesty, truth, and decency. After today, I think my connection to the former President may have come full circle. Not only will I tell my children stories of Lincoln’s decency and the midnight monument proposal, but I will tell the story of my brush with historical documentation, now tucked tightly in a vault for safe keeping ... and a picture to show for it.

The newly-elected members of Congress got to pick out their offices today, and Capitol Hill producer Allison Davis was there. -- Ed.

Remember college? Choosing a roommate, going through a dorm lottery, picking the perfect room with the shortest distance to your first class? Well, the new members of Congress are going through a very similar process in order to choose his or her first office as a member of the House of Representatives.

This morning 49 brand new members of Congress filed into a large committee room in the Rayburn office building where they drew lottery numbers as a means of getting in line. Called up in alphabetical order, each member reached into a fancy wooden box covered in a pleated silk fabric, similar to the interior of a coffin (not sure what that symbolizes but that is what I thought when I first saw it), and pulled out a white button with a number on it. When Keith Ellison from Minnesota reached in to find the number 2, he gave a wink and thumbs up as the administrator said over the sound system, “Mr. Ellison drew number two.” Applause and cheers erupted and Ellison proceeded to give lots of high fives around the room.

As soon as each member was equipped with his or her place in line, they headed out to walk to the office buildings and check out which ones were available. The office of House Administration distributed sheets of paper listing each office number available with details such as square footage, whether or not it was due for new carpet, and whether or not the office already has drapes. Rayburn office building was off limits to new members as according to the big screen display there is no real-estate available. But Cannon and Longworth were fair game, and this afternoon the newest residents of the nation’s capital were walking the hallways, floor plans in hand, looking for what might be available by the time their number was called. Tours were taken, current tenants were questioned, and measurements were taken, all in the narrowing process of office selection...

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If the Democrats take control of the House, we’ll have to get used to some new names and faces. Associate Producer Allison Davis covers congress and she has a preview. – Ed.

Here’s a look at the key committee changes expected in the House of Representatives:

Armed Services:
While the current Chairman of the Armed Service’s committee has announced his Presidential intentions, the current ranking member, Ike Skelton (D – MO) is ready to take control of this influential committee, especially in a time of war. Skelton is by no means a liberal member of the House; he is pro-gun, pro-death penalty, and while he is critical of the Bush administration’s handling of Iraq, Skelton is an outspoken supporter of the troops as a whole. Look for Democrats to showcase a Chairman Skelton as being tough on national security and a pro-troop check on the Bush administration’s continued operation in Iraq.

Judiciary:
Ranking Democrat John Conyers (D – MI) is poised to take over the Judiciary Committee. One key thing to look for here is the issue of immigration. Current Chairman James Sensenbrenner championed the case for more secure borders and against amnesty. With Conyers in power there is a better chance for a citizenship based immigration bill. Conyers, who is African American, is also concerned with voting rights issues and has proposed a national health insurance program (pretty unlikely regardless of who is in the majority).

Ways and Means:
The Ways and Means Committee is where all tax legislation originates and is historically very powerful. Ranking Democrat Charlie Rangel (D – NY), who is also African American, is expected to take over. Rangel was vocally opposed to the Bush tax cuts and will likely change the committee’s agenda dramatically. Leading up to Election Day Republicans have pointed to Rangel as one of the reasons why they should vote Republican this year. As one top Republican told me, “Rangel would re-introduce all the same backward, suffocating tax policies that were stifling our economy before a Republican majority arrived..."

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