Senators Fly Solo, Foiling Bush Move

A contentious Justice Department nomination lies behind Harry Reid's plan to keep the Senate in session over the holidays, if only for seconds at a time. Dems offered to give the White House a pass on a slew of other recess appointments in exchange for putting controversial terrorism expert Steven Bradbury on the congressional hot seat, CNN reports, but the White House rejected the deal.

Democrats have broken up what would normally be the Christmas recess with blink-and-you'll-miss-'em sessions under the supervision of a single lawmaker, including Jack Reed's 12-second reign yesterday. That means Bradbury and other presidential nominees to whom the Democrats object will have to face Senate confirmation when Congress reconvenes in mid-January. (More Steven Bradbury stories.)