Marking A Sweet Transfer Of Power

Maybe it's the cold New England winters that keep political foes so cozy, but whatever you want to call it, the relationship between the top independent-Democrat and Republican on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is sweet, indeed.

So much so that when the Democrats took control, former chair Susan Collins of Maine gave new chair Joe Lieberman of Connecticut a milk chocolate gavel to mark the friendly power swap. Hers was an unusual, though not original, idea.

An aide says the senator recently received a candied gavel from the Augusta, Maine, town manager and thought "it was such a great gift and great idea, that she gave it to Senator Lieberman when he took over the chair" from Collins.

By Paul Bedard