Stephen Crowley/The New York TimesSenator Harry Reid, the majority leader, spoke Saturday after a procedural vote to start debate on an Iraq resolution failed.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 — The Senate on Saturday narrowly rejected an effort to force debate on a resolution opposing President Bush’s troop buildup in Iraq,
but Republican defections emboldened Democrats to promise new attempts to influence the administration’s war policy.
The 56-to-34 vote in a rare Saturday session was the second time Republicans were able to deny opponents of the troop increase a debate on a resolution challenging Mr. Bush, and it came just a day after the House formally opposed his plan to increase the military presence in Iraq.
The 56-to-34 vote in a rare Saturday session was the second time Republicans were able to deny opponents of the troop increase a debate on a resolution challenging Mr. Bush, and it came just a day after the House formally opposed his plan to increase the military presence in Iraq.
But the outcome, four votes short of the 60 needed to break a procedural stalemate, suggested that Democrats were slowly drawing support from Senate Republicans for what was shaping up to be a drawn-out fight between the Democrat-controlled Congress and Mr. Bush over his execution of the war.“We will be relentless,” said Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, the third-ranking Democrat. “There will be resolution after resolution, amendment after amendment, all forcing this body to do what it has not done in the previous three years: debate and discuss Iraq.”
This is actually a good sign. Short just four votes! This means some of the Republicans are finally getting it! A day late and a dollar short but..they are getting it! Now if we could only get Bush to "get it" we might be able to salvage this thing and go home. What will it take? I don't really think it matters much what Americans want in this instance as Bush has nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Sphere: Related Content
No comments:
Post a Comment