While the Senate passed one big comprehensive bill last week, Cantor says it will go through the long-winding "regular order" of debates and commissions.
From there on, he grew increasingly bossy and impatient, whining about his allotted time and dodging questions with complaints about the order of the debate.
The broadcasters drew lots to determine the order of the debates and the allocation of themes, while representatives of the parties drew lots to determine the order of speaking.
The order of the debates is to be discussed with the political parties.
So while a "nudge" toward Romney on the order of what debates produced in 1980, 2000 or 2004 might not be enough to move Romney ahead, it could make for a much closer race.
For example, a call made to New Orleans, must have been to his fellow composer Arnold Schoenberg in order to debate methods of musical composition.
At least five Republicans would need to join Democrats in order to get the bill on to the floor of the Senate, in order for debate to begin.
"I would anticipate," Mr. Caplan said, "very heated debates for many years -- passionate, disruptive disagreements on the order of the abortion debate, between right-to-lifers and their right-to-die opponents". Paul Armstrong, the New Jersey attorney who represented the Quinlan and Jobes families in two landmark right-to-die cases, is amazed at the pace of change since 1976.
Under previous Senate orders, 30 hours of debate were required for these nominees after they had cleared a procedural vote.
