Sen. Mark Udall's bid to get lawmakers of both parties to sit together at President Obama's State of the Union Address is picking up some steam.
Pennsylvania's two senators -- Democrat Bob Casey and Republican Pat Toomey -- are the latest to announce they'll be seatmates when Obama addresses the joint session of Congress.
"The simple act of sitting together in a normally divided chamber will send an important signal that legislating shouldn't be about taking partisan sides," Casey said.
Readers familiar with watching the State of the Union on TV know that Republicans sit on one side of the center aisle that divides the House chamber and Democrats are on the other.
Udall began circulating a petition this month suggesting lawmakers sit together, in a sign of civility and comity following the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz.
"Many of America's greatest movements began with seemingly small symbolic acts," Udall writes on his website. He believes lawmakers crossing the aisle -- literally -- to sit with a colleague from another party "can become more powerful than any number of words."
A new CNN/Opinion Research poll out Friday shows 72% of Americans believe bipartisan seating for President Obama's address is a good idea.
More than 50 lawmakers had signed on to Udall's petition through Wednesday. The idea was first floated by the centrist Democratic group Third Way.
Colorado's entire congressional delegation -- Democratic senators Udall and Michael Bennet plus three Democrats and four Republicans in the House -- plan to sit together as a group.
Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., chairwoman of the Senate Small Business Committee, plans to sit next to Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, the top Republican on the panel.
Two senators who are polar political opposites -- liberal Democrat Charles Schumer of New York and conservative Republican Tom Coburn -- said they'll be seat buddies, too.
Illinois' two senators -- Democrat Dick Durbin and Republican Mark Kirk -- are also going to be seatmates.
So far, only a handful of House Republicans have signed Udall's petition. But Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said he'd be happy to sit by his Democratic leadership counterpart, Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md.
By Catalina Camia, USA TODAY
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