Republicans now routinely draw out debate on what used to be formalities, in order to exert what Mr. McConnell would describe as leverage to "shape" objectionable measures.
We Americans have become accustomed to the long, drawn out, expensive campaigns featuring countless ads, debates and stump speeches, influencing polls that influence media and media that influence polls.
The approval process was drawn out for several months while Congress debated over issues that had stemmed from the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
Many ardent advocates of intervention in Libya when U.N. Security Council Resolution 1973 was debated are now surprised that the operation has drawn out for this long.
The debate over the age of the Grand Canyon has been so drawn out largely because nature leaves so few clues as to the shape of the land tens of millions of years ago.
Do not write lengthy drawn out policies.
And in a speech on Monday he warned about the consequences of delay, a message clearly intended for Republicans who have worked to draw out the debate even though they agree with the bill and expect it to be adopted.
American diplomats said that they did not want an actual Security Council vote on the resolution until Tuesday or so, the better to draw out the debate and publicly shame the Russian government.
But some senators saw political advantage in drawing out debate, thus preventing the Senate from addressing other pressing matters.
McConnell vowed to return the Senate to regular order when taking over as majority leader, and to allow an open amendment process, which draws out debate and makes it harder for the controlling party to funnel through legislation they favor.
