CNN: Senate set for battle over vote on Iraq troops

[DeepModem Mom]

Senate set for battle over vote on Iraq troops
February 5, 2007


Sens. Carl Levin, left, and John Warner confer during hearings in December on the Iraq Study Group's report.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Senate showdown on Iraq loomed Monday as Republicans said they would block a measure stating opposition to President Bush's plan to send additional troops into the nearly four-year-old war.

Attempts to reach a deal to allow voting Monday as scheduled have failed, Democratic and Republican leadership aides said Sunday night. But talks were slated to continue on Monday, they said.

Democrats need 60 votes to cut off debate and move forward with the resolution of opposition...."It's an important first step, but if you can't get past a procedural motion to debate it, it's obstructionism," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, told CNN. "And I would really urge the Republicans to reconsider. I think it's a terrible mistake to prevent this debate."

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday that "as a matter of fairness," all 49 GOP senators would oppose a procedural vote that would let the chamber take up a bipartisan but nonbinding statement of opposition to Bush's "new way forward" -- a plan to send 21,500 more American troops to Baghdad and western Iraq.

Though McConnell said Republican leaders are standing firm on the procedural vote, they are widely split on the issue itself.

The measure is co-sponsored by Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia, the influential former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the panel's current chairman, Michigan Democrat Carl Levin....

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/02/05/senate.iraq/index.html

[Old and In the Way]

1. Cowards....hey Mitch....remember "up or down vte"?

When something as important as this illegal and criminal war can't be brought up for vote in the Senate, even a non-binding one....there is something really rotten with the Bush-Republican Rubberstamp Party.

[itsmesgd]

2. while they debate voting on a non-binding resollution

The escalation has already begun. Hundreds have been redeployed from Ft. Stewart/ Hunter Army Airfield near Savannah, GA.
Take you time guys, keep debating....oh by the way more troops have been killed, and they are now downing our helos.
Since you guys are behind the times...any takers on some superbowl bets?