They include two of the longest-serving senators, whose presence lends the group great stature in the Senate: Robert C. Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat, elected in 1958, and John Warner, a Virginia Republican elected in 1978. There's also a freshman, Ken Salazar, a Colorado Democrat.
Other Republicans include Maine's two moderates, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe; Mike DeWine of Ohio, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island.
Among the Democrats are Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Kent Conrad of North Dakota.