Sitting behind Bertie Ahern during the big speech to Congress were Nancy Pelosi representing the House of Representatives and Robert Byrd representing the Senate -- the latter there (as oldest serving member) because Dick Cheney, who is nominally president of the Senate, didn't show up. Cheney has used his constitutional status as president of the Senate to argue that he's not really part of the executive branch of the government, thus forming the basis of a claim that rules for executive branch don't apply to him. So you'd think he might at least big ceremonial occasions to show that he actually takes the Senate part of his job seriously.
Photo: AFP/Nicholas Kamm
UPDATE: Cheney doesn't have the excuse of not being in town or pressure of time, as he showed up later today at the White House reception for the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants.
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