Senate Math: How to get to 60 votes on ANY meaningful Iraq

measure.

The math is very tough, unfortunately. The Dems have only 49 solid votes counting Independent Bernie Sanders.

Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) are strong war supporters and will vote with the administration on any measure

Of the GOP: these six Republicans have voted for and might again vote for some sort of measure:
Snowe, Collins, Hagel, Warner, Smith, Specter

But this is a total of only 55.

I just don't see five of these GOP Sen possibilities voting "against the President"... one or two maybe.
I've selected a sampling from blue states, purple states, or some like Graham and Hutchinson that have made moderate statements at one time or another.

Sununu (R-NH), Alexander (R-TN), Coleman (R-MN), Domenici (R-NM), Ensign (R-NV), Graham (R-NC), Hutchinson (R-TX), Kyl (R-AZ), Voinovich (R-OH)

Does anybody with local knowledge see anyone from this list (or some GOP Sen that I've not included) that might support a well written bill?

Coleman-MN because he knows he's going to have a though campaign with Frankin bitting his heels.

Ensign-NV because I heard some very strong language from him just in the last week.

Kyl-AZ is a possiblealthough iffy.

Voinivich-OH also a possible buy iffy.

Are you also considering our dear Dem Senator who is still recovering from serious surgery?

The ONLY thing I can see swaying any more Pubs is the story that we are secretly giving $$ to subversive groups linked to al Qaeda. THAT COULD shock enough Pubs into the world of reality.

Other than some shockingjolt to the Senate, I just don't see 60 votes!

Repubs will come over to our side on Iraq, if only for self preservation. And it's inevitable that more tragedies will come, especially with a record number of American troops over there. Anyway, it will be up to the new Democratic administration to begin the pullout, Bush is probably incapable of pulling any troops out of Iraq. It would shatter his view of the world.

and denouncing any opposition as a terrorist sympathizer in the media before the bill is even written seems to work too.

Not sure what he will do now that he's the senior senator from my state.

Refuse to introduce any funding measure that doesn't have strings attached for a date certain for leaving Iraq. If the GOP doesn't vote for cloture the troops go without any funding at all and Bush either has the choice of pulling them out our leaving them in Iraq without funding.

Either way, the war is over.