KING'S INSTAGRAM POST:Biddeford Middle School comes to the Capitol for a selfie! Great group of young people visiting this week, seeing the sights and picking up some background on what we're up to around here. They did well on my quiz (who's Maine's other Senator? What is the president's term? What color is the White House?) and, as you can see are having a pretty good time. This is a fun part of the job!
KING'S INSTAGRAM POST: F18 Hornets on the deck of the USS George Washington. The coordination of the landings and take-offs was amazing with planes being moved in what seemed like all directions and crews readying them for the next flight. What was even more amazing was to see them do it all at night; the pilots have to hit a window of a few feet to catch the trip wire, which then takes the plane from over a hundred miles per hour to zero in (literally) 3 seconds. Believe me, it's a jolt.
KING'S INSTAGRAM POST: Just another day at the office; I mean really. Still pinch myself that I get to work in this place--and can't help going for shots like this. The guides think I'm one of the tourists.
KING'S INSTAGRAM POST: Here's me being a tourist again. Couldn't resist this shot of the late afternoon sun on the Capitol and Jack Faherty couldn't resist the shot of me getting the shot. More meta-fun!
KING'S INSTAGRAM POST:The Downeaster leaving Brunswick for the evening run to Boston. The train quickly becomes a long, skinny Maine town--old friends greet one another, concert or game-goers compare notes and experiences, and there is an air of community. If you've never made this trip, you're in for a treat.
KING'S INSTAGRAM POST:Sunrise behind Union Station after early morning interview at NPR. It's fun to meet people who's voices are so familiar, in this case, Rachel Martin and David Green. The subject was decidedly not fun, however-- the Intelligence Committee investigation of Russia's attempts to disrupt our election. The challenge is to understand what happened so we can prevent its happening again. This may be the most important work I've ever done.
KING'S INSTAGRAM POST: So, it turns out a member of my staff got a shot of me getting the shot of the sunset. Mary and I are taking a gang from the office out for pizza. I--and the people of Maine--have an amazing group of young people working with us. Anything I accomplish is largely due to their quiet hard work.
KING'S INSTAGRAM POST: Well, here's what the fuss is all about--the Supreme Court, looking across from the steps of the Capitol. The decision to confirm a new justice is especially weighty because the appointment is for life--and there are no do-overs once the judge takes his or her seat. I'm reading (opinions and articles), listening ( to people in Maine as well as Judge Gorsuch in his hearings) and generally trying to get a fix on what values, approach to the law, and temperament he would bring to the job. And all this homework will soon come down to a simple yea or nay.
KING'S INSTAGRAM POST: Came in early this morning and was greeted by this spectacular sunrise over St. Joseph's Catholic Church, just across the street from my office. Somehow this just seemed appropriate, given that the Pope will be here in a few hours.
KING'S INSTAGRAM POST: The rainbows are real, honest. It's the Mapleton Lions vs. Doyen's Farm, 12 and under. A storm went right around us, producing this scene. What a way to spend a summer evening!
KING'S INSTAGRAM POST: The good thing about a late night session is that when you take a walk, you see something like this. I just wish the debates on the inside lived up to the magnificence of the outside.
KING'S INSTAGRAM POST: Early morning at the rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building. Waiting to do interview on CNN on the New York bombings; lot's of questions still open but we know the FBI and local police did an amazing job finding one person among the millions in the region in a matter of hours.
KING'S INSTAGRAM POST: On the Danish Frigate Thetis just outside one of the fjords where the Greenland ice sheet forms glaciers (a literal river of ice) which in turn break into ice bergs. The fjord is 6000 feet deep, but there is a shelf at its mouth that's "only" 600 feet deep, so the big bergs get stuck until they melt or are pushed over the reef by the high winds. The one in front of us is about the size of downtown Brunswick; I think this is about as close I want to get to one of these monsters, even in a double-hulled warship.
KING'S INSTAGRAM POST: OK, this is sort of a dorky picture, but it's a funny story. Was leaving the Senate floor after a vote and headed back to the office--when the elevator froze. As in no motion, doors locked closed, getting warm and absolutely chock full. The guy on the phone in front of me is Senator Jon Tester of Montana trying to summon help, but his office thought he was kidding; meanwhile, I was periodically pushing the alarm bell (did you ever notice that button?) hoping someone on the outside would figure out what was going on. Finally, after about 15 minutes (which seemed like at least an hour), a mechanic came and pried the doors open. Oh, and of course, one of the passengers was a reporter. Don't know what caused the problem, but my bet is it was the Russians.
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