Sen. Patrick Leahy walked into the Senate chamber on the Republican side at 5:28 p.m., hands in pockets, glowering, as fellow Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York orated about why no one should have confidence in the attorney general.

Mr. Leahy walked to the front of the chamber, and gruffly said to the clerk, "Voting at 5:30."

A question mark could have been assigned to the end of the Vermont Democrat's statement, but that would mischaracterize the utterance.

An hour of debate had been scheduled from 4:30 to 5:30 on a no-confidence resolution in Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales. Mr. Leahy, obviously having a pressing engagement, was ready to get it over with.

When informed by the clerk that debate on a previous matter had pushed the vote back by 20 minutes, he said, loudly enough to be heard quite clearly in the press gallery, the name of the carpenter from Nazareth.

He then stomped up the aisle towards Mr. Schumer, who continued to orate, and out the door. Minutes later, Mr. Leahy reentered and could be heard telling Mr. Schumer, "I've got to be somewhere."

Nonetheless, Mr. Leahy swallowed his impatience and stuck around to vote on the measure, which failed to garner the needed 60 votes to cut off debate, a demise predicted since last week.

-- Jon Ward, White House correspondent, The Washington Times