March 15, 2007

GOP Defeats Reid Measure To End Deployment

Senate Republicans turned back an effort by Harry Reid to set a fixed withdrawal date for US troops in Iraq. Reid lost by a thin margin, 50-48, as three Democrats defected to the opposition for this measure:

Democrats aggressively challenged President Bush's Iraq policy at both ends of the Capitol on Thursday, gaining House committee approval for a troop withdrawal deadline of Sept. 1, 2008, but suffering defeat in the Senate on a less sweeping plan to end U.S. participation in the war.

In the Senate, after weeks of skirmishing, Republicans easily turned back Democratic legislation requiring a troop withdrawal to begin within 120 days. The measure set no fixed deadline for completion of the redeployment, but set a goal of March 31, 2008. The vote was 50-48 against the measure, 12 short of the 60 needed for passage.

Senate Democrats promptly said they would try again to force a change in Bush's policy beginning next week when they begin work on legislation providing money for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Democrats want to keep digging on this issue until they weaken Republican resolve to see the war through to a successful conclusion. Gordon Smith voted with the Democrats, giving them some hope for more erosion later, but three Democrats voted against the bill. Joe Lieberman joined red-state Senators Mark Pryor and Ben Nelson.

What's next? Another attempt on another day. The Democrats don't know the meaning of the word surrender, unless it's on the battlefield.

UPDATE: It wasn't as close as I thought. The final vote was 50-48 against, but the amendment needed 60 votes for passage -- meaning it fell 12 votes short.

Posted by Ed Morrissey on March 15, 2007 5:50 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (4)

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» News Flash- The Senate Democrats Anti-Iraq Campaign Lies in Tatters-updating with other opinions periodically from A Second Hand Conjecture
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» Dems Lose Another Anti-Iraq Battle… from The Crossed Pond
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» Senate Republicans Stop Cut-and-Run Democrats from The American Mind
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Comments (1)

Posted by ERNurse [TypeKey Profile Page] | March 17, 2007 6:17 AM

Thanks, Keemo. It's a sad, sad day to witness elected officials committing sedition in time of war- and getting away with it. Reid deserves to be hanged for the traitor he is.

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Captain Ed is a father and grandfather living in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, a native Californian who moved to the North Star State because of the weather. He lives with his wife Marcia, also known as the First Mate, their two dogs, and frequently watch their granddaughter Kayla, whom Captain Ed calls The Little Admiral.

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