The day's gyrations made for a bevy of rumors that swirled among the lobbyists who stalk the Capitol hallways.

Interviewed in a Capitol hallway, he said he had concerns about Mr. Pryor's nomination and had not yet decided how to vote.

Senator Frederick Wallace strolled down a Capitol hallway toward his hideaway office, the best in the Senate.

"The situation is worsening," Mr. O'Neill told reporters in a Capitol hallway.

She cornered him in a Capitol hallway to urge a financing cutoff and a faster pullout from Iraq.

Throughout the day Wednesday, lobbyists and legislators thronged the Capitol hallways as the two houses churned out dozens of uncontroversial bills.

But the voices in the Capitol hallways have been shrill ever since Mr. Pataki announced the details of his $90.8 billion budget.

He won a slight increase, only after standing in a Capitol hallway and accosting his former House colleagues as they filed in to vote.

Less than an hour after those remarks in a Capitol hallway, Mr. Cuomo convened his second news conference of the day.

Just five minutes after the speech ended, the party lines were drawn, and the Capitol hallways had a carnival flavor as various constituencies promoted their positions.