Reply #2: Had a lot to do with it...

[SteppingRazor]

And not just from coincidence or "auspicious timing" (as you so eloquently put it :toast: )
More than a few speeches on the Senate floor mentioned this story. Feingold even said something along the lines of "Given this, I don't want to hear anything about how we can trust this administration to protect civil liberties." (not a direct quote, I'm paraphrasing).

So, I think this story directly affected the vote, not simply in its timing, but also in its usage on the Senate floor.