What did senators give each other at Al Franken's Secret Santa?

Lawmakers reached across the aisle to give each other presents

Published December 13, 2012 6:34PM (EST)

   (Facebook/Sen.Franken)
(Facebook/Sen.Franken)

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., organized a Secret Santa gift exchange again this year, and in a rare display of bipartisanship, the senators all apparently agreed to give each other weird stuff. Among the gifts:  A mahnomin porridge kit, a book "1,001 Gardens you Should See Before You Die," and peanuts.

To be fair, there was a $10 spending limit.

NBC News reports that the senators exchanged gifts on the Senate floor Tuesday. From NBC, here are some of the highlights.

  • Sen. Franken received a VHS copy of the movie "Tunnel Vision" and a DVD of  "Harvard Beats Yale 29-29" from Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barasso.
  • Franken, in turn, gave Arkansas Republican Sen. John Boozman a mahnomin porridge kit from Hell's Kitchen, a popular restaurant in Minneapolis. Sen. Franken serves that breakfast porridge at his weekly breakfast with constituents.
  • Florida Republican Marco Rubio gave Godiva chocolates to Delaware Democrat Chris Coons.
  • North Carolina Democrat Kay Hagan gave her state's famed peanuts to fellow Democrat Bob Casey of Pennsylvania.
  • New Hampshire Republican Kelly Ayotte gave Hagan a book, "1,001 Gardens you Should See Before You Die."
  • Wyoming's Mike Enzi, R-Wis., gave Virginia Democrat Mark Warner a George Washington University T-shirt and a book on bicycling.  Aides say Enzi "refrained from getting him a book on freestyle BMX tricks because of the safety issues Sen. Enzi works on."
  • Johanns received a shirt for his undergraduate alma mater, St. Mary's University, from Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar.
  • Portman gave Louisiana's Mary Landrieu a Cincinnati favorite, Graeter's Buckeye Blitz ice cream.
  • Arkansas Republican John Boozman gave Georgia's Saxby Chambliss Mason jar wine glasses.

By Jillian Rayfield

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com.

MORE FROM Jillian Rayfield


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Al Franken Bipartisanship Christmas Minnesota U.s. Senate