In the four sessions Ed and I attended we watched at least 39 Senator speak (we were not allowed to take notes), 22 of which were Republicans. As kristinn points out, it was difficult to see the entire floor from the one seating area that was open to the public--only half of the seats were utilized.
All of the Pubs were great but I was especially impressed by the diligence of Norm Coleman who seemed to be everywhere, even sitting and chatting with the help in the Senate canteen. Also good was a duet by Orrin Hatch and Mitch McConnell when, in the spirit of trying to help Senator Hatch regain his already scratchy voice, McConnell led him through a recital of the ways in which Miguel Estrada (nomination filibustered and withdrawn) and John Roberts (confirmed by unanimous voice vote) were treated "differently" by the Dems--a must-read.
I was present when the opening 'procession' took place at 6:00 PM Wednesday and I can say that the pride I felt was only equaled by that on December 19, 1998 when the Republicans in the House of Representatives lived up to their oaths to the Constitution.
I encourage all FReepers who have never visited our nation's capital to do so and, despite whatever the Congress critters are up to, take in the beauty of the Capitol building and grounds. And if you're lucky, you'll be able to time your visit with one of the many, many events conducted by the D.C. Chapter, and witness the true dedication and patriotism that make them the great group they are.
I was impressed with Norm Coleman, also. I saw him last night on C-SPAN2 taking part in a Senate debate on the economy. He did a good job defending the tax cuts.