Senators-Elect Manchin, Coons To Be Sworn In This Afternoon -- But Not Kirk

A Republican Senate source informs me that special election winners and Democratic Senators-elect Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Chris Coons of Delaware, will be sworn in around 4pm this afternoon for the lame duck session.

Conspicuously absent will be Senator-elect Mark Kirk, the Republican victor of Illinois' simultaneous special and general election. As we reported last week, Kirk conveniently won't be seated for several weeks due to "paperwork" holdups in Illinois.

No Senate votes are scheduled for today or tomorrow, although the GOP caucus will hold a private vote on Sen. Jim DeMint's proposed earmark moratorium tomorrow.