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Politics

War debate is nonstop

Democrats seek a vote on troop withdrawal.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published July 18, 2007

WASHINGTON - Democrats on Tuesday steered the Senate into an attention-grabbing, all-night session to dramatize opposition to the Iraq war but conceded they were unlikely to gain the votes needed to advance troop withdrawal legislation blocked by Republicans.

"Our enemies aren't threatened by talkathons, and our troops deserve better than publicity stunts," said Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader.

McConnell and many other Republicans favor waiting until September before considering any changes to the Bush administration's current policy. They have vowed to block a final vote on the Democrats' attempt to require a troop withdrawal to begin within 120 days, to be completed by April.

The measure envisions leaving an undetermined number of troops behind, their mission limited to counterterrorism against al-Qaida and other groups, protecting U.S. assets and training Iraqi troops.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said, "We have no alternative except to keep them in session to explain their obstruction."

So far, the legislation has drawn the support of three Republicans, Sens. Gordon Smith of Oregon, Olympia Snowe of Maine and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.

With a test vote set for today - capping a day and night of debate - Democratic officials conceded they were likely to get 52 or 53 votes at most. That's well short of the 60 needed to force a final vote on the measure.

The maneuvering occurred as the Senate debated a broad defense bill that includes a pay raise for the troops, revised regulations for detaining suspects in the war on terror, and an increase in the size of the Army and Marines.

While the issue was momentous - a war now in its fifth year costing more than 3,600 U.S. troops their lives - the proceedings were thick with politics.

MoveOn.org, the antiwar group, announced plans for more than 130 events around the country to coincide with the Senate debate, part of an effort to pressure Republicans into allowing a final vote on the legislation.

[Last modified July 18, 2007, 02:00:06]