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Wednesday, July 18, 2007

No Up or Down Vote on War

posted by on July 18 at 8:55 AM

In attempt to force a vote on withdrawal from Iraq, Senate Dems can’t overcome Republican filibuster.

Cantwell and Murray (and Clinton and Obama) all voted for cloture—that is, to end debate and vote on the issue itself. They lost 52-47. You need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.

UPDATE: Here’s Senate Majority Leader Reid on the vote, including video of his speech.

RSS icon Comments

1

I don't know how I can possibly get any angrier without becoming violent.

Posted by monkey | July 18, 2007 9:05 AM
2

*gasp* didn't see that coming.

Posted by Phenics | July 18, 2007 9:17 AM
3

Are we still supposed to be "happy" with our current system? But what this shows us is just how weak the Dems really are. Think about it: when the Republican's controlled the Senate they got their way because the Democrats were not willing to go as far as they could have. And even with a slim majority the Democrats are still under the control of the Republicans.

The Democrats really could learn some lessons from the GOP tactics; not the ethics just the tactics.

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger | July 18, 2007 9:49 AM
4

As disgusted as I've been with the Dems' spinelessness, I have to say this is their only option and it's the correct one since they don't have the votes.

They have to show the public over and over that the Republicans are stopping legislation with broad public support and Bush is threatening to veto it. It's the only way the Republicans will ever be held accountable at the ballot box in 2008.

Posted by Original Andrew | July 18, 2007 10:08 AM
5

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =9JE48XHKG64 sez:

Earlier today, I ordered America’s armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. They are joined by British forces. Their mission is to attack Iraq’s nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors.

Their purpose is to protect the national interest of the United States, and indeed the interests of people throughout the Middle East and around the world.

Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons.

I want to explain why I have decided, with the unanimous recommendation of my national security team, to use force in Iraq; why we have acted now; and what we aim to accomplish. …

Other countries possess weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles. With Saddam, there is one big difference: He has used them. Not once, but repeatedly. Unleashing chemical weapons against Iranian troops during a decade-long war. Not only against soldiers, but against civilians, firing Scud missiles at the citizens of Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Iran. And not only against a foreign enemy, but even against his own people, gassing Kurdish civilians in Northern Iraq.

The international community had little doubt then, and I have no doubt today, that left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will use these terrible weapons again. …

[Moron Bush? March 2003? Blue-Dress Bill, 1998. Full text here:
http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS /stories/1998/12/16/transcrip ts/clinton.html ]

Posted by Whoopi Goldstein | July 18, 2007 12:16 PM
6

Yay Dems, way to grow a collective spine. Keep it coming!

Posted by Dianna | July 18, 2007 12:19 PM

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