THE DOG ATE OUR HOMEWORK

This is just pathetic:

Democratic aides said there had been even less strategy than usual in trying to coordinate the questioning [of Samuel Alito] by the eight Democratic senators [on the Judiciary Committee]. The situation was complicated because senators and staff were out of Washington before the hearing.

But what about that newfangled gadget everyone's using these days -- what's it called? The "telephone"? And that "e-mail" whoozywhatsis all the kids seem to like? Couldn't the senators have tried that?