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The Senate's paper-thin Democratic majority is resuming its uphill push this week to force a change in President Bush's Iraq policies. Many Democrats saw a measure requiring more rest time for troops between deployments to Iraq as their best bet to garner enough GOP votes to beat a filibuster.
For active-duty troops, that would mean spending as much time at home as they did in Iraq. Despite some last minute concessions from that measure's sponsors, the bill was defeated last night after pushback from the Pentagon and White House helped curb Republican defections.
NPR's David Welna reports.
DAVID WELNA: This wasn't the first time Virginia Democrat Jim Webb proposed this amendment forcing the Pentagon to get troops more time off between deployments. In July, with votes from seven Republicans, Webb's measure fell just four votes shy of the 60 needed to get past a filibuster. This time, Webb toned down his amendment to a defense policy bill to attract even more Republicans.
Senator JIM WEBB (Democrat, Virginia): We've listened. This amendment is an adjustment from the amendment that was offered last July. We have spoken with Secretary Gates. We've modified the language of it. It is needed. It's needed in a way that's beyond politics and certainly would not contribute to what some people are calling defeat.
WELNA: Webb also pointed out that Congress, on many other occasions, has used its constitutional powers to set rules for the Pentagon. But John McCain, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee who's made winning in Iraq the focus of his bid for the presidency, deemed Webb's proposal unconstitutional. He dismissed it as a backdoor attempt to speed up troop withdrawals from Iraq.
Senator JOHN McCAIN (Republican, Arizona; Presidential Candidate): We are succeeding and we are winning. And with the enactment of this amendment, we will choose to lose. This is setting a formula for surrender, not for victory. And I'm hearing from the troops in the field that are present, three words -three words - Let us win.
WELNA: Two three-star generals and senior White House officials reinforced that message in meetings on Capitol Hill yesterday with a number of wavering Republicans.
Virginia Republican John Warner voted for fellow Virginian Webb's proposal in July. But after his meeting with the generals, Warner announced he'd vote against the measure this time.
Senator JOHN WARNER (Republican, Virginia): I say to my good friend from Virginia, I agree with the principles that you've laid down in your amendment, but I regret to say that I've been convinced by those in the professional uniform that they cannot do it, and do it in a way that wouldn't invoke further unfairness to other soldiers now serving in Iraq.
WELNA: The six other Republicans who voted for Webb's measure in July did so again last night, but no other Republicans joined them. Once again, it fell four votes shy of the 60 needed to prevail.
Majority Leader Harry Reid had harsh words for his GOP colleagues.
Senator HARRY REID (Democrat, Nevada; Senate Majority Leader): To stop the majority of this body from acting shows yet again that most of my Republican colleagues are much more concerned about protecting their president than protecting our troops.
WELNA: But South Carolina Republican Lindsey Graham insisted the vote showed people are taking a second look at winning in Iraq.
Senator LINDSEY GRAHAM (Republican, South Carolina): A hard road lies ahead, but I think we've got to shot at winning a war we can't afford to lose. And the only way we're going to lose it is here in Washington and we avoided a vote today that would surely have led to losing this war.
WELNA: Senate Democrats for their part seemed to have given up on reaching out to Republicans on Iraq. They now plan to bring up a series of Iraq-related measures, all likely to garner even fewer GOP votes.
David Welna, NPR News.
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