Posted on 01/25/2007 12:09:59 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats won their first major vote against the Iraq war. Now they need to get some Republicans on board.
A resolution swiping at President Bush's Iraq war plans is headed to the full Senate as early as next week as administration officials and Republican leaders labor to keep the effort from gaining more GOP support.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday passed 12-9 a resolution that dismissed Bush's plans to increase troops in Iraq as "not in the national interest." The vote on the nonbinding measure was largely along party lines, with Sen. Chuck Hagel (news, bio, voting record) of Nebraska being the sole Republican on the committee offering his support.
"The president has made his decision," Vice President Dick Cheney fired back in a CNN interview, a response that made it clear the administration would go ahead anyway. "We need to get the job done."
Republicans have been meeting behind closed doors to shore up support for the Iraq war plan. The Senate is tied 49-49 between the two parties, with two independents caucusing with the Democrats. That means either party needs help from the other in order to achieve the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster and advance legislation.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (news, bio, voting record), R-Ky., has threatened to filibuster the Iraq resolution.
Senate Democratic leaders say they are willing to negotiate the language to pull in more GOP support. Sen. John Warner (news, bio, voting record), R-Va., who sponsored a rival proposal, has already met with Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record), D-Mich., and others to discuss his position.
"The goal is to try to salvage this situation and not send the additional troops with a message of disapproval," Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., said.
As the two sides try to find consensus, the State Department's senior Iraq adviser, David Satterfield, planned to testify Thursday on reconstruction efforts before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
While most Republicans refused Wednesday to back the Iraq resolution, some of them suggested their position may change.
Sen. George Voinovich (news, bio, voting record), R-Ohio, said he believed the resolution could be viewed as a political attack on Bush and misinterpreted "by our enemies as abandoning Iraq." But, he added, he remained skeptical that additional troops in Baghdad would be successful.
"I have been waiting for the administration to extend an olive branch in an attempt to forge a compromise" that would make clear "we stand united as a nation," he said. "I obviously have been disappointed since that has not happened."
Voinovich and like-minded GOP senators say they might be willing to sign on to a measure backed by Sens. Warner, Susan Collins (news, bio, voting record), R-Maine, Norm Coleman (news, bio, voting record), R-Minn., and Ben Nelson (news, bio, voting record), D-Neb.
Warner, a prominent Republican and former chairman of the Armed Services Committee, cast his measure as a milder alternative. It leaves open the possibility of Bush sending in a much smaller number of troops, particularly to the western Anbar province, and uses language that some say may be seen as less partisan.
"I think this is just the beginning," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (news, bio, voting record), R-Alaska, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee. Murkowski voted against the resolution but not before voicing her opposition to sending more troops to Iraq.
"I feel that I have to tell (Bush), and the administration, where I'm coming from, what I have learned, what I'm hearing from my constituents, from those who have been over there," she said.
While Warner said he is willing to discuss his resolution with Democrats, the two sides have substantial differences. Warner's resolution, for example, explicitly states that the president commands the U.S. forces and the resolution is not intended to "question or contravene such authority."
Democrats said such a provision raises flags because it suggests the Congress cannot implement stronger measures, such as cutting off funding.
What spineless creatures have Republicans elected? Is Kay Bailey the only women Senator that will stand up and be counted for our military and our President? This article makes my blood boil.
bttt
Thought the Dems promised that it was sufficient that their strategy is to only undercut our Military's pride, respect. . .undercut their morale; and their Mission. . .stamp out any and all evidence of their altruism; by ridiculing their intelligence, their motives (and should that not work. . .their Mother. . .)
. . ..but never would they cut off their funding. . .
Well they kept their promise; or rather most of it. . .but not all.
If any Republicans, RINO or otherwise, sign on to this monstrosity and the GOP doesn't give them the boot, it will be the end of the Republcian party for a very long time.
Senator Colman is re-thinking his position, according to Hugh Hewitt.
http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/
Oh, the stubbornness of that man executing the duties of his office. How dare he!
The RINOs will all come forward and support their Dem "colleagues". We must remember that these RINOs are the ones who are voting against the war AFTER they voted for it!! Sound familiar??
Another 40 years? It's amazing to know in 1994 the repubs started out on a fast track to kick ass then as usual, with in these 12 years turned back into the moderate Pile OS it is today.
Write Martinez and tell him to either get rid of these sorry POS or expect NO funding at all from the grassroots!
Here's one link you can go and share your thoughts with Martinez. We need to really let them know how we feel right now. I haven't seen ONE conservative come out and express anything since the election. What's going on?
Bump
Too late. The message has already been sent. The actual vote, and the actual wording, are just formalities. It's 1975 all over again, expect I had more hair then, and was still in uniform.
No worry for the Rats, there's plenty of Republican traitors who'll sign with them.
I'll support the dims... at the end of a ROPE swinging from a gallows!!!
LLS
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