Senators Pull All-Nighter For Debate On Iraq War

Democrats rolled out cots and ordered pizzas as they settled in for a marathon Senate debate on Iraq last night that featured numerous speeches but little chance of getting any closer to resolving the stalemate over how to end the war.

Republicans were determined to block legislation forcing a withdrawal of combat troops, which was expected to come before bleary-eyed senators this morning in the nonstop session. Republicans dismissed the Democrats' overnight effort as political theatrics and vowed to enforce a 60-vote threshold for passing the withdrawal proposal, which would bring most troop homes by May.
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Although Democrats expect to fall well short of 60 votes today, they hope that the all-night session will show antiwar voters that the party is not relenting, despite continuing to fall short in its efforts to force the White House to change course.

The group VoteVets.org called in Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans to spend the night in the Senate gallery. MoveOn.org organized "counter-filibusters" in which protesters outside Senate offices and in other public places read firsthand accounts from Iraq war veterans and military families. "We'll send a clear message to senators and the media that this isn't about partisan games -- it's about people's lives," the group said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071701864_pf.html

I got several e-mails today and wrote a few letters demanding action on the Levin/Reed Bill. Why don't Republicans support our troops.

What do you mean by "time Dems got some intestinal fortitude?" What would you like them to do? Bar the Republicans from the building and then hold a vote?

They should force a constitutional crisis - anything. They should change senate rules - again, anything.

when the entire Congress is polling at levels lower than the President then something is wrong. This Congress was elected by the people with the premise that they would take on the President & the Republicans and change the direction of this war. They came out with a bang and mostly have caved in or allow the Republicans to obstruct or obfuscate most legislation. Neither side has been doing the peoples work, hence such dismal poll numbers.

There was a good piece here a day or two ago about the gang of 14 that was supposed to prevent filibusters or something a while back. We got those weasels Alito and Roberts out of that drama, and nothing else worth noticing.