Harkin gets a pen

Harkin gets a presidential pen

It's the ultimate piece of political "chum": a presidential bill-signing pen. Iowa's own Tom Harkin got one of President Obama's pens from yesterday's health care bill signing ceremony.

I say "one of" because, as anyone who's seen footage of any president at a bill-signing ceremony knows, presidents like to maximize the number of pens used, so as to maximize the number of gifts. A bill signing pen is, as Vice President Joe would say, a big f%$#in' deal--and yes, he got one.

Harkin took over as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee last year after Ted Kennedy's death.

In all Obama used 22 pens to sign the health care bill, two for each letter of his name. As you see, he doesn't use the Hussein, which could have created 14 more souvenirs.

Politico has the full list of 19 recipients including Harkin (two go to the national archives and the Big Guy kept one).

You can make up your own joke about (president of party other than your own) and crayons, but I'm going with "Say Anything": I gave him my vote, he gave me a pen.