GOP Blocks Full-Fledged US Senate Debate Over Iraq February 6, 2007
Posted by notapundit in Congress, Politics, US News.trackback
WASHINGTON (AP)–Republicans blocked a full-fledged U.S. Senate debate over Iraq on Monday, but Democrats vowed to find a way to force President George W. Bush to change course in a war that has claimed the lives of more than 3,000 U.S. troops.
“We must heed the results of the November elections and the wishes of the American people,” said Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
Reid spoke moments before a vote that sidetracked a nonbinding measure expressing disagreement with Bush’s plan to deploy an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq.
The vote was 49-47, or 11 short of the 60 needed to go ahead with debate, and left the fate of the measure uncertain.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky described the test vote as merely a “bump in the road” and added that GOP lawmakers “welcome the debate and are happy to have it.”
The political jockeying unfolded as Democrats sought passage of a measure, supported by Sen. John Warner, R-Va., that is critical of the administration’s new Iraq policy. It was the first time Democrats had scheduled a sustained debate on the war since they won control over Congress in last fall’s midterm elections.
McConnell called for equal treatment for an alternative measure, backed by Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., saying Congress should neither cut nor eliminate funding for troops in the field. That measure takes no position on the war or the president’s decision to deploy additional forces.
Democrats launched a withering attack on Bush’s war policy in the run-up to the vote.
“The American people do not support escalation. Last November, voters made it clear they want a change of course, not more of the same,” said Reid. “The president must hear from Congress, so he knows he stands in the wrong place, alone.”
Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second-ranking Democrat, echoed Reid. “If the Republicans want to stand by their president and his policy, they shouldn’t run from this debate. If they believe we should send thousands of our young soldiers into the maws of this wretched civil war, they should at least have the courage to stand and defend their position,” he said.
Not-A-Pundit: The Renaissance 
REID AND DEMOCRAPS, CUT OFF THE FUNDS TO THE WAR LIKE YOU DID DURING VEIT NAM, IT WORKED SO WELL BEFORE, I AM SURE YOU ARE FOAMING AT THE MOUTH TO DO IT AGAIN….OH AND WHEN THEY ARE BLOWING UPI BUSES IN NEW YORK, CHICAGO, BOSTON, PHILLY I AM CERTAIN YOU WONT HAVE FINGERS POINTED AT YOU.
SO DONT WORRY, JUST CUT OFF THE FUNDS AND BRING THE SOLDIERS HOME, THEY CAN BE IN THEIR POSTS IN THE STATES BY EASTER AND YOU WILL HAVE FUFILLED YOUR PROMISES MADE TO DA VOTERZ, ALL OF DEM,KUZE THYE AER YUS LIK DA RST OF DA DEMOCRAPS, DEY WILL UNDERSTAND
NOW, FOR YOU REPUBLICANS WHO EVEN CONSIDER ANY KIND OF NOT BACKING THE SOLDIERS FULLY. YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE POLITICAL COWARDS, EACH IN HIS OWN WAY STARTING WITH HAGEL GOING THRU WARNER, SO CALLED EXPERTS ON DEFENCE. DO YOU NOT REALIZE THIS CUTS THE KNEES OUTOF OUR TROOPS, PRESIDENT AND THE NEW GENERAL SENT TO MAKE THE SURGE WORK. DONT YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO SAY I HAVE RESERVATIONS ABT THE SURGE AND THEN SHUT YOUR MOUTH. NO ONE KNOWS HOW DUMB YOU ARE UNTIL YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND TELL THEM..YOU ARE A DISGRACE AND AS STUPID AS THE DEMOCTRPS.
FELLOW AMERICANS. WE NEED A THIRD PARTY. WE NEED TERM LIMITS.
NO RWETIREMENT PACKAGES, SERVE 6 YRS AND GO. IF YOU STEAL, A STATE PEN AND BUBBA AWAIT.
NO NEED FOR FUND RAISERS, ONE TERM ONLY.GOOD BYE LOBBIESTS.
LOBBIESTS WANT POLITICIANS AND TRY, LET THEM SHARE A CELL.
ONE MAN OR WOMAN IS THE RULE. NO CORPERATE OR UNION OR
TRADE ASSNS SHALL BE ALLOWED TO LOBBY. ONE MAN ONE VOTE.
THEY CAN PRESENT THEIR MONEY TO THE GOVERNMENT AND WE WILL PAY FOR ELECTIONS. EACH CANDIDATE GETS THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY AND THEY WILL GO TO JAIL EVEN IF THEIR IS A MISTAKE IN SPENDING. NO OOPS, ILL GO INTO COUNSILING. THOSE DAYS ARE OVER.