Senate Panel Presses Ahead With Defense Bill Setting Up A Showdown With The White House

(11-15) 14:55 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

Setting up a showdown with the White House, a Senate panel on Tuesday pushed ahead with a sweeping defense bill that would require military custody of terrorist suspects and limit the government's authority to transfer detainees.

The Democratic-led Armed Services Committee approved the revised legislation over objections from Obama administration officials and opposition from several senior Democratic senators who argue the bill would tie the president's hands in the war on terror.

Weeks of negotiations between the administration and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., chairman of the committee, and Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the panel's top Republican, produced some changes in the bill's provisions on handling detainees, but they weren't sufficient to overcome White House concerns.

"Issues which have been raised I believe have been addressed," said Levin, who indicated that the Senate could consider the measure this week. He insisted that "there are all kinds of misconceptions" about the detainee provisions.

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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/11/15/national/w134419S77.DTL

Looks like an excellent opportunity for Obama here.

:bounce: :beer: :hi: :hi: