In an interesting manuever, Senator John Edwards (D-NC) has managed to keep his seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee by trading his position on the Commerce Committee to Maria Cantwell (D-WA). Both stand the benefit from the switch, with Edwards keeping a high-profile position to attack the administration's judicial nominees, and Cantwell gaining an influential voice on technology issues important to the state of Washington.

In other committee news on the Democrat side, Senator Lautenberg (D-NJ) was denied his attempt to return to the Environmental and Public Works Committee, where he formerly served as chairman. He picked up a seat on Commerce, Governmental Affairs and Small Business, instead. The only other incoming Democratic Senator, Mark Pryor (D-AR), notched assignments on the Armed Services, Governmental Affiars and Small Business committees.

The only three other changes for the Democratic caucus were Evan Bayh (D-IN) and Hilary Clinton (D-NY) joining Armed Services and Jon Corzine (D-NJ) joining Foreign Relations.