"Hey Harry, don't go looking for something you're not going to be glad you found."
They are doing this to stall the Alito nomination. They are looking for stuff on Alito and this is their way of putting off the inevitable.
The RATS aren't getting the response on Alito that they would like.
("Denny Crane: Gun Control? For Communists. She's a liberal. Can't hunt.")
they've already got stuff on him
Actually, I think its a panicked response to Graham and DeWine announcing they would support the Nuke option and Frist's announcement that, if necessary, he will use it. That gives us 51 votes (with Cheney). The Rat's only remaining threat is to shut down the entire senate so that no business, not even nuclear options, can get done.
This is basically a demonstration of what they threaten if the nuke option passes--trying to shake some support for it.