Senate Defeats Motion To Go Ahead With 'no-confidence' Vote On Gonzales

Despite sharp rhetoric on both sides, the Senate defeated a Democratic effort to bring up a "no-confidence" motion on Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, saving both Gonzales and President Bush from a potentially devastating political defeat.

By a 53-38 margin, the Senate voted against ending a filibuster on a non-binding resolution stating "that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales no longer holds the confidence of the Senate and of the American people." 60 votes were needed to overcome the Republicans filibuster and to begin debate on the actual resolution.