Senate Votes Against Debating Iraq War Resolution

After a difficult, tightly managed debate, the U.S. Senate just voted 56-34 against proceeding to a vote on S. 574, a Senate bill expressing, as the House did, disapproval of a House-passed Iraq war resolution. Democrats tried to move to vote on that measure by invoking cloture on debate, i.e., cutting off Senators' opportunities to filibuster.

In addition to all Senate Democrats, seven Republican Senators - Senators Coleman, Collins, Hagel, Smith, Snowe, Specter, and Warner - voted in favor of the motion.

Ten Republican Senators did not vote and presumably were not present, most notably Senator McCain, who is out trying to run for President. It seems that these Republicans must have been certain that the vote would go their way.

I doubt very much that this will be the last time that Democrats try to push for a similar vote. They've done it before and only got two Republicans. But in the end, if they cannot peel off three more Republican Senators to reach 60, Democrats will never get to a vote on the substance of these crucial measures.

As Senator Schumer said today, this debate and vote would have been the first steps toward eventually ending the war in Iraq. It did not happen today, but I believe this vote was positive.

First, it identified those Republican Senators who will consistently support a move to vote for a resolution of this strength. This allows Democrats to make the next chess moves toward a debate and vote on Iraq. Will Democrats have to take Senator Gregg's desired amendment to "support the troops" into account? To get to 60 votes, Democrats might have to.

Second, it put pressure on Senator McCain to support his position on the war in Iraq. As we move toward the general elections, Senator McCain will have to explain why he did not vote when he supposedly supports the President's plans for increasing troop numbers in Iraq so strongly.

And third, it allowed Democratic Senators to say they are moving the legislative agenda the voters chose in November -- a change of course in Iraq -- into effect. I think they are trying hard, even if it is difficult to move this kind of legislation through the Senate.