For the second time in two weeks, the Senate has voted not to allow an up-or-down vote on a non-binding resolution opposing President Bush's plan for military escalation in Iraq.
There was little doubt today's vote would turn out as it did. Senate Democrats needed a 3/5ths majority to successfully invoke cloture and force a vote, but they had little chance of getting there. The Democratic caucus is technically 51 strong, but they came in with only 49 votes today -- Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota is still hospitalized after experiencing bleeding in his brain in December and Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, an "independent Democrat" who is part of the Democratic caucus, is one of the most vocal supporters of the president's plan. As such, the Democrats would have needed 11 Republicans to cross the aisle in order to reach the 60-vote threshold necessary for victory. They got seven.
Still, this was an increase, by five, over the last vote less than two weeks ago.
"If anything, this debate is four years overdue. Delaying this debate is a disservice to our troops and their families and to Vermonters and ordinary Americans everywhere who have stood up to demand a change of course in Iraq.
"We must keep pushing to bring our troops home, and I hope the Senate soon will rise to the occasion and once again accept the role it so often has served, as the conscience of the nation. We have the power to bring the troops home and it is time to use it."
Almost makes you wish the GOP had pulled the trigger on the "nuclear option" to scuttle filibusters (scuttlebusters?) so we could hoist 'em on their own petard (I said "almost").
Of course, the GOP is just digging their own hole, adding more and more momentum to the defunding argument.
...and regarding that, also from Salon:
California Democrat Dianne Feinstein did, however, take her time today to introduce something more binding and less purely symbolic than what was up for discussion today: Legislation that puts an "expiration date" of December 31, 2007 on the authorization for use of military force. If Feinstein's bill passes, Bush would have to seek renewed authorization for military force in Iraq after that date.
