Senate Backs Iraq Pullout Deadline

Votes 50-48 To Keep Withdrawal Language In War Funding Bill

(CBS/AP)  The Democratic-controlled Senate narrowly signaled support Tuesday for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by next March, triggering an instant veto threat from the White House in a deepening dispute between Congress and commander in chief.

Republican attempts to scuttle the nonbinding timeline failed, 50-48, largely along party lines.

President Bush is said to be "disappointed" by the Senate vote, reports CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller, but White House spokeswoman Dana Perino says the measure's timeline for withdrawal from Iraq has no chance of becoming law – because if the bill ever reaches Mr. Bush's desk, he'll veto it.

The vote marked the Senate's most forceful challenge to date of the administration's handling of a war that has claimed the lives of more than 3,200 U.S. troops. It came days after the House approved a binding withdrawal deadline of Sept. 1, 2008, and increased the likelihood of a veto confrontation this spring.

After weeks of setbacks on the Senate floor, Majority Leader Harry Reid said the moment was at hand to “send a message to President Bush that the time has come to find a new way forward in this intractable war.”

“It is a choice between staying the course in Iraq or changing the course in Iraq,” he said.

But Republicans — and Sen. Joseph Lieberman, an independent Democrat — argued otherwise.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a presidential hopeful, said “we are starting to turn things around” in the Iraq war, and added that critics “conceive no failure as worse than remaining in Iraq and no success worthy of additional sacrifice. They are wrong.”

Similar legislation drew only 48 votes in the Senate earlier this month, but Democratic leaders made a change that persuaded Nebraska's Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson to swing behind the measure.

Additionally, GOP Sens. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Gordon Smith of Oregon sided with the Democrats, assuring them of the majority they needed to turn back a challenge led by Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss. “The president's strategy is taking America deeper and deeper into this quagmire with no exit strategy,” said Hagel, the most vocal Republican critic of the war in Congress.

Vice President Dick Cheney traveled to the Capitol in case his vote was needed to break a tie, a measure of the importance the administration places on the issue.

The debate came on legislation that provides $122 billion to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as domestic priorities such relief to hurricane victims and payments to farmers. Final passage is expected Wednesday or Thursday.

Separately, a minimum wage increase was attached to the spending bill without controversy, along with companion tax cuts that the Republicans have demanded as the price for their support of the increase in the federal wage floor. The House and Senate have passed different versions of the minimum wage-tax package, but they have yet to reach a compromise.

The House has already passed legislation requiring troops to be withdrawn by Sept. 1, 2008. The Senate vote assured that the Democratic-controlled Congress would send Bush legislation later this spring that calls for a change in war policy. A veto appears to be a certainty.

That would put the onus back on the Democrats, who would have to decide how long they wanted to extend the test of wills in the face of what are likely to be increasingly urgent statements from the administration that the money is needed for troops in the war zone.

“I hope he will work with us so we can come up with something agreeable for both” sides, Reid said at a post-vote news conference. “But I'm not anxious to strip anything out of the bill.”

As drafted, the legislation requires a troop withdrawal to begin within 120 days, with a nonbinding goal that calls for the combat troops to be gone within a year.

The measure also includes a series of suggested goals for the Iraqi government to meet to provide for its own security, enhance democracy and distribute its oil wealth fairly — provisions designed to attract support from Nelson and Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas.

Despite the change, Pryor voted with Republicans, saying he would only support a timeline if the date were secret.

The vote was a critical test for Reid and the new Democratic majority in the Senate nearly three months after they took power. Despite several attempts, they had yet to win approval for any legislation challenging Bush's policies.

Republicans prevented debate over the winter on nonbinding measures critical of Bush's decision to deploy an additional 21,500 troops. That led to the 50-48 vote derailing of a bill that called for a troop withdrawal to begin within 120 days but set only a nonbinding target of March 31, 2008, for the departure of the final combat forces.

Some Democrats said they would support the nonbinding timetable even though they wanted more. “I want a deadline not only for commencing the withdrawal of our forces but also completing it rather than a target date,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

“This provision represents a 90-degree change of course from the president's policy of escalation in the middle of a civil war,” he said. “I'm confident once the withdrawal of our troops begins there will be no turning back.”

Lieberman, who won a new term last fall in a three-way race after losing the Democratic nomination to an anti-war insurgent, depicted the vote as a turning point. He said the effect of the timeline would be to “snatch defeat from the jaws of progress in Iraq.”

[torocaca]

"Lets here it for the Anti Americans like Leathy, and Reid who get on TV an broadcast there dislike for the war but have no problem adding on Pork to the bill..." Posted by FARTKNOCKER2

fartknocker2, you have no idea what you are talking about. 'Pork barrel' is a BI-PARTISAN indulgence. Search on 'republican pork barrel' and 'democrat pork barrel' and you will get 5 repugnican hits for every democratic hit.

[homespunlady]

cbville72 can I guess with all the bragging about how prosperous things are FOR YOU that you've joined the exodus of the wealthy and just want keep the illusion long enough to fuinish the job. Work for Halliburton??
By the way that minimum wage increase you credited the REpubs for was fought tooth and nail by your hero.

[homespunlady]

George screaming "you can't do that" over a NONBINDING resolution is hilarious. It's like the spoiled kid in the candy store after he's told he can't have ALL the candy in the store.
George honey you're annoying the grownups--Please stop now, quit screaming and be a good boy.

Seriously, several economic facts have come out indicating the timing for emptying out the American treasury was a little off and trying to keep it hid isn't working.
Why else are the rats Halliburton, Carlyle Group, etc. heading for Dubai all of a sudden? Housing is in the tank with forclosures way up, investigations by the FBI starting, and values are plummeting as average Americans can't afford to prop up this Banana Republic any longer. The wealthy for the most part have already found investments OUTSIDE our economy to safeguard their piece of the pie.
The tornado sirens are beginning to sound. The neocons had hoped to be out of the way enjoying their WAR spOILs BEFORE that happened. Metals and the "safehave investments have taken off and Our buddy China is quietly planning to dump their nondurable investments here (dollars) in preference to something more stable (infrastructure). Dubai owns/runs our ports through front companies and Spain apparently is soon to own our KEY transportation arteries. Heckuva job Georgie boy.

[heetseeker]

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a presidential hopeful, said %u201Cwe are starting to turn things around%u201D

Is it my imagination or have we heard this statement before? I think we have and I think, for the most part the American people are not willing to be taken in by it anymore. Does McCain's statement sound the same as those other enduring classics: "we are in the last throes of the insurgency", "we are winning in Iraq", "dead-enders & remnants."

Whilst "we have been winning" the war has dragged on for four years and shows absolutely no sign of letting up. Whilst the insurgency has been in its "last throes" an average of two US troops have been killed in Iraq every day and whilst we have been "starting to turn things round" we have seen January, February and March of 2007 being the deadliest for US troop combat casualties compared to the first three months of 2004, 2005 and 2006.

I have the greatest respect for Senator John McCain but I just wish he would consider that whilst he plays politics our troops are paying for it with there lives. It is indecent, shameful and obscene.

[rharrin1]

Remember when the gop had the majority in congress, how they attached drilling for oil in Alaska on the bottom of the defense budget. The gop said if the democrats didn't sign they weren't supporting the troops.

Now the democrat added on the bottom of money for troops and bush says he will veto and blaming the democrats for it not passing.

He is still that spoiled stupid little boy.

[randalds]

Posted by jerr11 at 01:27 AM : Mar 28, 2007

Bravo and well stated! From before 9-11 the neocons looked at an invasion of Iraq for one reason and one reason only, profit. When the terrorists brought the twin towers down make no mistake that there was celebration in the White House because they had the "Pearl Harbor type event" they believed would be necessary to justify an invasion of Iraq (and in fact their own website(http://www.newamericancentury.org) says they needed!), even though there was the small fact that Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11.

The hundreds of billions of our dollars (and our children's and our grand children's and our great grand grandchildren's) that we have spent on this war was not just piled up and burned. It went into the bank accounts of the friends of this administration as profit. Blood money handed over covered with the blood of our troops. Please. Educate yourself and learn.

[cfin5]

We have the military might to set a nation free. That might cannot KEEP them free if it is not in their will to stay free. There is a big difference in how we got our independence and how they got theirs. I pray that our leaders will make wise decisions from now. We could have taken that Osama dude into custody a long time ago. I'm tired of us spending our patriots and "borrowed money" on this mess of a situation.

[frankly6]

I agree it really is a living hell here.....what with the stock market staying steady and the economy steadily growing for the last 5 years. Unemployment is at a low rate and is not rising. The minimum wage also just got raised. It sure is tough out there.
You might want to double up on the meds you take to fight your chronic case of delusional reality.
Posted by cbville72 at 12:14 AM : Mar 28, 2007


...and the whole grande illusion being held up by record multibillion dollar deficit spending. Give me the national credit card and I could spend my way to temporary prosperity too. Soon the bill will come due and the party will be over. What will you do then? Oh yeah, what you always do, blame Clinton.

[cbville72]

With this GWB in power, our lives feel like living in hell!

Posted by Simplemind2 at 12:08 AM : Mar 28, 2007

I agree it really is a living hell here.....what with the stock market staying steady and the economy steadily growing for the last 5 years. Unemployment is at a low rate and is not rising. The minimum wage also just got raised. It sure is tough out there.
You might want to double up on the meds you take to fight your chronic case of delusional reality.

[mh4cbs1]

cbville:

so all the fake WMDs, fake Aluminum tubes, fake bio-mobile labs, fake "intelligence sources" fake Niger yellowcake uranimum, fake color-coded terror alerts, fake Al Queada links to Saddam, fake "mushroom clouds", fake 'curveball', fake NIE report summaries.... doesn't bother you?

Doesn't bother you when Cheney blows the cover on covert CIA agents working on proliferation as revenge on former ambassador Wilson who had the nerve to tell the truth about the Cheney LIES.

You like living in an Orwellian world? Loving Big Brother Bush who can do no wrong? If you love your country (and WAKE UP and inform yourself) you will work to see Cheney and Bush impeached and thrown in JAIL

[cbville72]

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK MR PRESIDENT! Iraq will eventually become a strong ally.

[cbville72]

Government official - including the "President" is considered "public servant" - i.e. they are elected to carry out
we - the people's wishes/desires.

I couldn't agree more and BTW, the country was at about 80% in favor of going to war when it started. We have now successfully overthrown their terrorist sympathetic ex govt. We are now making sure their govt. will be able to take root. The President is doing the job that America wanted done. The President is determined to finish the job.

[mh4cbs1]

Democrat Cowards!!

When will they grow some spine and stop passing all this non-binding nonsense. When will they impeach the War Criminals Cheney and Bush??

Cheney and Bush LIED us into this horrific, needless disaster in Iraq. 3,240 US troops dead. tens of thousands maimed for life. boken families, grief-sticken families. Multiply the US suffering by 100 and you have the situation in Iraq - hundreds of thousands dead - a sickening percentage of these being women and children.

The Cheney-Bush LIES make this war a CRIME. They belong in JAIL. When will the Democrats STOP the NEOCON NIGHTMARE?

[cbville72]

And your strategy with the old IRAQ would have been what? Leave Hussein in charge? So you would have been comfortable with the same old middle east. The same middle east that has been the bane of existence for the last 50 years. Do you think anything would have changed? Do you think our country would be safer that way? Who's drinking the kool aid again?

[wayfedup]

Our military leaders have pretty much said that in roughly a year, they will be able to take control. Why give a dealine to leave based on a date on the calendar and not whether or not the job that was undertaken is done. Your arguments seem politically bent more than anything else.
Posted by cbville72 at 11:33 PM : Mar 27, 2007
HOW MANY TIMES have YOU heard THAT SAME B.S. Are you telling me that you STILL believe IT?! LIE after LIE after LIE, and you koolaid kids fall for it EVERY TIME!

[radiob-2009]

This date is artificial, it does not have the veto votes and then there is the question of legality of congress. If congress has the legal authority to place conditions on how a war is waged or when it will end. Neverless the death toll is dramatic and where are the counter measures to prevent the spread of radical Islam? Where are the goodwill measures that would aid in preventing individual from becoming terrorist? The Israeli-Palestinian conflict which is suppose to be the crux of the terrorist oppostition to the US ? What are we doing to help the people of Darfur from the attacks on them from Islamic extremist? Or Somalia, Thailand etc.? The continueing war in Afghanistan where the Taliban have regrouped and attacks have rose 70% .

[cbville72]

Tell me, How do you propose to defeat an enemy who kills mimself, as well as EVERYONE aound him, in order to kill YOU?
Posted by wayfedup at 11:25 PM : Mar 27, 2007

They are targeting civilians more than anybody else right now. They are targeting Markets, Malls and open areas to kill civilians. How do you suppose that leaving with the job half done is the right thing to do? More Iraqi's are now volunteering into the Police and military than ever since we overthrew their govt. Our military leaders have pretty much said that in roughly a year, they will be able to take control. Why give a dealine to leave based on a date on the calendar and not whether or not the job that was undertaken is done. Your arguments seem politically bent more than anything else.

[wayfedup]

cbville72... Well? I'm WAITING!!! HOW DO YOU PREVAIL ?

[wayfedup]

right now as we are slowly but surely hunting them down and killing them.

Posted by cbville72 at 11:19 PM : Mar 27, 2007


PUFF PUFF, GIVE! You're smokin' CRACK!, cbville72... We cannot prevail in this CIVIL WAR.
Tell me, How do you propose to defeat an enemy who kills mimself, as well as EVERYONE aound him, in order to kill YOU?

[cbville72]

Doesn't setting a date to withdrawl fill the terrorists and AL-QUEDA soldiers (Yeah, THOSE AL-QUEDA SOLDIERS) with a light at the end of the tunnel. Once we set a date, they can pin it up on thier and hold out hope looking forward to the day that they can crawl out of their holes and get back to work. As long as we keep them on the run while their Police and Military force are being trained, we have more of an upper hand with each passing day. The President is doing what he has been put in Office to do....COMMAND.