CHAPTER 20
The Exchange of Power
As soon as she returned to work after New Year’s Day, 1981, it was depressingly clear to Priscilla how much the Democratic loss of the state senate affected all aspects of her political life. It was Inauguration Day, and she saw the Senate Republicans and their supporters celebrating all over the city.
Over the holidays, to her surprise, Priscilla noticed that the Senate Republicans had already converted and remodeled the office of their new leader, Senator Raymon Ferrari. Exquisitely designed, the suite displayed all the amenities of privilege. Unlike the minority leader’s suite, the opulence of the Senate president’s suite reflected the unmistakable appearance of leadership.
On her first day back, the Republicans’ victory celebration spilled over into
