US - Senate Votes Against Iraq Deadline

Again!

I think this brings the total to 6. Six times now the Republicans have called the Democrats bluff and six times the Democrats have voted to keep our troops in Iraq.

WASHINGTON, June 22 — The Senate voted today, after a long and emotional debate, against measures calling for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.

The votes, 87 to 13 on one measure and 60 to 39 on the second, reflected not only deep divisions between Republicans and Democrats but within the Democratic ranks as well.

The first measure was an amendment to a military-spending bill offered by Senators John Kerry of Massachusetts and Russell D. Feingold of Wisconsin, both Democrats. It would have set a July 2007 withdrawal date. But with a majority of Democrats voting "no," its lopsided defeat was assured.

And

The second, more generally worded measure was also intended to scale down the American commitment in Iraq. It declared that it was "the sense of the Senate" that redeployment of United States troops from Iraq begin by the end of this year.

The votes on both measures were preceded by hours of debate that blended high emotion and the courtly courtesy that is a Senate tradition.

We've now had 6 votes with many hours of debate and everytime the Democrats lose with many of them voting to keep our troops in Iraq. The last Senate vote was 96-3 in favor.

Debate and voting, that's what Democracy is about but the Democrats need to stop saying they haven't had a chance to debate or vote on the issue - they've had six bites of the apple.

I guess they feel if they keep trying eventually they'll win but by then the troops will already be home.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------