Dems Wake Up Alone After Senate All-Nighter
The defense bill was introduced 2 weeks ago and no one would debate it. All of a sudden, the Democrats, not happy with their 14% approval rating, aim for single digits. They insist on round-the-clock debate. They even brought in little cots just in case some of our Senators needed to rest. Those cots weren't needed because the senators went home.
A weary and sharply divided U.S. Senate on Wednesday blocked a Democratic effort that would have brought all American combat troops out of Iraq by the end of April 2008.
Capping an around-the-clock debate, a majority of senators voted in support of the legislation that would have begun the troop withdrawals within 120 days, but fell short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a procedural hurdle and move forward.
The vote was 52-47.
The U.S. House of Representatives already has passed similar Iraq war troop withdrawal legislation, which President George W. Bush has threatened to veto.
The White House, backed by most Republicans in Congress, has demanded that any change in Iraq war policy be put off at least until mid-September, when the Pentagon is supposed to assess the effectiveness of Bush's troop surge aimed at securing Baghdad more than four years after the U.S.-led invasion.
Even after Petraeus gives his report in September, it isn't likely the Dems will change their mind. They already said they won't believe him if he says the surge is working.
