Is it just me or is the pace of the Senate "Extraordinarily" slow? I know that is the way the Senate was originally setup but give me a break! Now, the vote for Owen is scheduled at 12:00PM Eastern.
A Senator has every right to speak about the floor tiles in a debate about the Supreme Court. Reading from the phone book has actually been done - it is not just hyperbole.
They just like to hear themselves - they don't actually have to be saying anything.
Byrd does it just to break up the tension in the room and get us all rolling around with tears running down our cheeks.