Neat-o! It looks like they’re having a bipartisan slumber party in the senate tonight :

It’s a grudge that’s been building for two years. In a legislative version of “Survivor,” Republicans and Democrats will square off Wednesday in an all-night senate talkathon on who’s to blame for some of President Bush’s political nominees not making it to the federal appeals bench.

While both parties hope the debate will mobilize their political bases, the contestants already know the winner: the status quo.

For 30 straight hours ? from Wednesday evening through midnight Thursday ? senators will condemn each other and Bush for the impasse over four U.S. Appeals Court nominees: Alabama Attorney General William Pryor, Texas judge Priscilla Owen, Mississippi judge Charles Pickering and Hispanic lawyer Miguel Estrada.
. . .
Republicans hope the all-night senate session ? the first to go past 4 a.m. since 1992 ? will swing public favor and maybe some campaign cash their way during the winter break. Conservatives have complained the GOP hasn’t done enough to highlight the Democrats’ blockades.
. . .
The senate has confirmed 168 of Bush’s judicial nominees, and Democrats have blocked four. Senators in both parties acknowledge their wrangling over judges the past two years hasn’t caught the general public’s attention the way a Supreme Court nomination fight would.

They’ve blocked 4 out of 168?! I knew those Democrats were obstructionist assholes!

Seriously though, here’s the part (from the end of the same article) that really scares me :

Instead of one senator trying to talk for the full 30 hours, the two sides will split the time and trade shifts so that there will be a senator from each party on the floor at all times.

For example, a Republican will talk from 3 a.m. to 3:30 a.m., while a Democrat watches. They’ll switch roles for the next 30 minutes and then head home to bed, replaced by two others for the next shift lasting as little as one hour.

Because senate rules require agreement from both sides to quickly confirm a nominee, the GOP can’t force a confirmation vote as long as a Democrat is present on the floor to object. But if they fall asleep or stop paying attention, Santorum said the GOP will immediately confirm the nominees.

In turn, Daschle said if Republicans stop paying attention, they will immediately pass senate legislation like a bill to raise the minimum wage or one to create a tax credit to stimulate creation of manufacturing jobs.

Okay, somebody needs to send a shipment of No-Doz and Red Bull to the DNC headquarters immediately. If a Democrat falls asleep, Rick “Dog-Fucker” Santorum could make it a felony for men to hold hands or Trent Lott could try to repeal the Emancipation Proclamation or something.