More than 80 members of Congress will not be returning next year, and they take with them all of their personal effects and affects. The New York Times catalogs some of the more notable fixtures to soon depart from the Hill: Sen. Ken Conrad's white fluffy bichon frise, Rep. Nan Hayworth's sky-high stilettos, and Rep. Gary Ackerman's white carnation boutonnieres will all be missed.
But our favorite tradition to leave office? Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's "purse boys," a rotating group of young men who were in charge of carrying her handbag around the Hill and around town. The purse boys were detailed in former President George W. Bush speechwriter Matt Latimer's 2009 book "Speech-less." Latimer described running into Landrieu and two purse boys in an elevator.
According to Latimer, Hutchison instructed the boys to take her purse back to her office, remove the nail polish and makeup, and put them in the refrigerator.
Several former staff members told the Times that many of the purse boys moved on to great things, including attending top law schools in Texas.
