Callow-hearted young Rand Paul, a mere boy of 50, yesterday led the charge on a 13-hour talking filibuster designed to delay a vote on John Brennan’s confirmation as C.I.A. director. The senator from Kentucky would prefer that the United States pledge never to authorize a drone strike on a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil—a promise that Attorney General Eric Holder was, as he explained in a letter to Paul, unable to make. (!) Thus: filibuster. This one’s for you, Fifth Amendment!

Proceedings included cameos from Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, and, naturally, Mitch McConnell, who was likely relishing the opportunity to participate in something that did not actually require him being previously invited or asked. (“Look at us, all hanging out at night!” McConnell whispered—or did not whisper—under his breath.) Festivities sadly ended around one a.m. this morning. The New York Times reports:

“I would go for another 12 hours to try to break Strom Thurmond’s record, but I’ve discovered that there are some limits to filibustering and I’m going to have to go take care of one of those in a few minutes here,” Mr. Paul said to knowing laughter as he referred to the legendary South Carolina senator known for his 28-hour filibuster. [“Knowing laughter.” Ha ha, ole Strommy sure did hate the Civil Rights Act of 1957.–Ed.] (Mr. Paul could not leave the floor to use the bathroom, making his filibuster at a certain point seem less a standoff between the senator from Kentucky and the administration than a battle between Mr. Paul and his own bladder.)

Ew, did Strom Thurmond not use the bathroom? Let’s see: in 1957, Time reported that he used it just once, during a few-minute break to update the Congressional Record. And, per The Village Voice: “[T]o prepare himself, he took steam baths every day to dehydrate his body so it could absorb fluids without his having to leave the Senate chamber for the bathroom. On the day he was scheduled to start speaking at 9 p.m., he took another steam.”

In the end, Rand Paul did not hate U.S.-citizen-targeted drone strikes as much as Strom Thurmond hated the idea of black people voting.