Almost everyone who pays attention to the work in the U.S. Senate knew that the “All Nighter” by the Senate Democrats was going to fail. It did 52-47 (it needed 60).

Somebody called it going to the matt-ress.

Imagine if you can that you’re an employee of the U.S. Senate, like the folks who hauled in roll-a-way cots, and then they placed sheets on them for the senators. I can imagine what they were thinking about this show.

Supposedly Montana’s junior senator, Jon Tester, ran home to catch a few winks. He lives a few blocks from the Senate. I’ll bet he missed out on the fun of having a sleepover, like telling ghost stories, having pillow fights, passing gas and denying it – you know the fun things that happen at a summer camp or a lock-in. If there were pillow fights, I would want Tester on my side. I’ve not heard what Max Baucus did last night. If this had happened in the House, Denny Rehberg would have been right at home because he sleeps in his office on a couch. Maybe Rehberg could have his staff “borrow” one of those beds?

The Senate did have some votes throughout the night to keep everyone awake that were there.
At 11:59 p.m. they held a vote and 22 senators did not vote (12 Republicans, 10 Democrats)
At 5:13 a.m. they held a vote and 40 senators did not vote (26 Republicans, 13 Democrats, 1 Independent)

So after the all-nighter, nothing has changed. For controversial issues in the senate, you will still need 60 votes to move the legislation no matter which party is in the majority.