You've got to hand it to Al Franken. It's pretty hard to become the most popular kid in school on the first day, but Minnesota's newest senator had no problem making friends on day one in his official capacity. Since arriving on Capitol Hill yesterday, Franken has been surrounded by reporters -- dozens of notepads and sound booms at every corner. He's been noticeably disciplined not to answer questions and has managed to keep impressively composed--tough for a former SNL cast member and career comedian. Senate camaraderie usually plays out most visibly, and with maximum showiness, on the senate floor. Minnesota's other senator Amy Klobuchar introduced Franken. "I always told Al his third year of campaigning would be his best," she quipped to huge laughs from the gallery. (Minnesota, we never knew this side of you!). Franken, on arrival, gave a few awkward-looking hellos before the cool kids -- Patrick Leahy, Dick Durbin, Chuck Schumer and a few others -- surrounded him for several large belly laughs.

It's customary when your colleagues show up to honor you to go around and shake hands, but oddly, he didn't shake many at all. "He's a hugger, we've established he's a hugger," joked a reporter sitting next to your Gaggler. Indeed, Franken's a fan of the two-arm embrace, going in for the body-to-body touch with virtually all of the 20 members who showed up for his swearing-in. Except when it came to Arlen Specter, the often thorny member of the senate who switched teams back in April, making friends on both side of the aisle eye him with some suspicion. Specter clearly had warm words for Franken (the press gallery is close, but not that close) but definitely didn't want to be hugged. The Pennsylvania senator kept his left hand firmly on Franken's shoulder, as if to hold him back. But that didn't matter. Franken finished the conversation, turned around, and kept spreading the love.