Some New Year's Resolutions Very Likely To Be Ignored

After weeks of jockeying and backroom deals and strong-arming, Congress hopes to finally get down this week to debating President Bush's contentious Iraq plan on the floor of the Senate. Virginia Republican Sen. John Warner's language for a nonbinding resolution on the plan has the broadest support.

But the Senate is still very much split. Warner's plan would oppose the increase of 21,500 troops and urge Bush to consider alternatives. Democratic Sens. Russell Feingold and Chris Dodd say that doesn't have enough bite; Sens. John McCain, Joe Lieberman, and Lindsey Graham, meanwhile, support Bush's plan but want specific benchmarks.

As for the House, it's holding off to see what happens in the Senate first: As the week begins, Republicans are threatening a filibuster, and it's not clear that any Senate resolutions can garner the 60 votes needed to bust it.

By Silla Brush