Cloture Vote Fails
The vote to try and force a vote on the Reid sponsored Senate bill failed to get enough votes to end debate. The vote was closer than the last one but still fell six short. I will post the names as soon as available.
WASHINGTON - The Senate gridlocked on the Iraq war in a sharply worded showdown on Saturday as Republicans foiled a Democratic attempt to rebuke President Bush over his deployment of 21,500 additional combat troops.
The vote was 56-34. That was six short of the 60 needed to advance the measure, which is identical to a nonbinding resolution that Democrats pushed through the House on Friday. (Ed. Note: Wouldn't that be four short?)
Again, this was a vote to try to invoke cloture and end debate. The press continues to spin this as the "blocking of debate". It is precisely the opposite. An explanation can be found here.
UPDATE: AllahPundit has the list of Republicans who crossed the aisle.
Update: The only Republicans to vote with the Dems last time were (Norm) Coleman and Susan Collins. Joining them today: John Warner, Olympia Snowe, Arlen Specter, Chuck Hagel, and Gordon Smith. Not voting: McCain, who was out campaigning, Lisa Murkowski, Bob Bennett, Thad Cochran, Bob Corker, Kit Bond, John Ensign, Jon Kyl, Orrin Hatch, and of course Tim Johnson, who’s still recuperating from his stroke. All are Republicans except Johnson. Reid was hoping to get Lamar Alexander and Larry Craig to cross the aisle, since both are up for reelection in two years and were rumored to be wavering, but he couldn’t pull it off.
Update: Of the seven Republicans who voted for cloture, only Snowe and Specter aren’t facing reelection in 2008.
UPDATE: This from Fox News. The mega spin headline now from AP:
The report is authored by one David Espo, "Special Correspondent". I'd recommend that anyone interested search that name and the articles it pulls up. Pay attention to the language used.
By Lars Walker, Saturday, 17 February , 2007 @ 4:18 pm
Coleman’s my (Republican) senator.
I live in a state of insanity.
By jpg, Saturday, 17 February , 2007 @ 8:02 pm
Yeah, well, Lars, I’m stuck with Hagel.