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Senators Clinton and Schumer Read "The Raven"

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: Back to the reading of "The Raven" by Senators Schumer and Clinton of New York, the Super Bowl losers. We'll listen in for a few more minutes:

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

SEN. CHARLES SCHUMER (D), NEW YORK: "Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken. Doubtless said I, what it utters, is its only stock and store. Caught from some unhappy master, whom unmerciful disaster followed fast and followed faster until his song's one borden bore" -- or interceptions.

"Until the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore of never, nevermore."

SEN. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), NEW YORK: That was longer than the game.

SCHUMER: The game seemed longer than the poem, unfortunately.

CLINTON: "But the ravens still beguiling all my fancy into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door, Then upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking fancy unto fancy thinking what this ominous bird of yore -- what this grim, ungainly, ghastly gaunt and ominous bird of yore meant in croaking nevermore."

SCHUMER: Now we know.

"This I sat engaged in guessing but no syllable expressing to the fowl who fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core. This and more I sat divining with my head at ease reclining. On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o'er. But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er, she shall press, ah, nevermore.

CLINTON: "Then methought the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen sensor. Swung by Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the tufted floor. Wretch, I cried, thy God hath lent thee, by these angels he hath sent thee respite -- respite and nepenthe, from thy memories of Lenore. Quaff, oh quaff this kind of nepenthe and forget this lost Lenore. Quoth the raven, nevermore."

SCHUMER: "Prophet, said I, thing of evil. prophet still if bird or devil, whether tempter sent or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore. Desolate yet all undaunted, on the desert island enchanted, on this home by horror haunted, tell me truly, I implore, is there -- is there balm in Gilead? Tell me, tell me, I implore. Quoth the raven, nevermore."

CLINTON: "Profit, said I think I think of evil. Prophet still if bird or devil. By that heaven that bends above us, by that God we both adore. Tell this soul with sorrow laden if within the distant Aidenn, it shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels name Lenore. Clasp a rare and radiant maiden who the angels name Lenore. Quoth the raven, nevermore."

SCHUMER: "Be that word our sign in parting, bird or fiend, I shrieked upstarting, Get thee back into the tempest and the nights plutonian shore. Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken. Leave my loneliness unbroken. Quit the bust above my door. Take thy beak from out my heart. And take thy form from off my door. Quoth the raven, nevermore."

CLINTON: "And the raven, never flitting still is sitting, still is sitting on the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door, and his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming. And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor. And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor shall be lifted -- nevermore."

The end.

ALLEN: If you are just joining us, you are probably wondering, what in the world is going on, on Capitol Hill? That was Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer, senators from New York.

Now we have the senators from Maryland -- this is payback time for the New York Giants losing to the Baltimore Ravens, so of course, the senators had to read from "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe.

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