ANTI-WAR DEMOCRATS IN THE U.S. SENATE ARE VOWING TO FORCE REPUBLICANS TO STAGE AN ALL-NIGHT DEBATE ON TUESDAY TO DEFEND PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH'S POLICY ON IRAQ. MAJORITY LEADER HARRY REID (DEMOCRAT FROM NEVADA) INCREASED PRESSURE ON REPUBLICANS ON MONDAY AFTER THEY BLOCKED A VOTE ON A BILL THAT WOULD FORCE BUSH TO WITHDRAW MOST COMBAT TROOPS FROM IRAQ BY EARLY NEXT YEAR. “BLOCKING AN UP-OR-DOWN VOTE … SHOWS REPUBLICANS ARE MORE INTERESTED IN PROTECTING THE PRESIDENT THAN OUR TROOPS,” REID SAID. “WE'RE GOING TO WORK TODAY. WE'RE GOING TO WORK TOMORROW. WE'RE GOING TO WORK TOMORROW NIGHT.” THE ALL-NIGHT DEBATE STARTING TUESDAY WILL ATTEMPT TO FORCE REPUBLICANS TO ALLOW A SIMPLE MAJORITY VOTE ON A BILL REQUIRING A WITHDRAWAL OF COMBAT TROOPS TO BEGIN WITHIN 120 DAYS AND TO BE COMPLETED BY APRIL 30 NEXT YEAR. BILL SPONSOR SENATOR CARL LEVIN (DEMOCRAT FROM MICHIGAN) SAID THAT THE LEGISLATION “WOULD TELL THE IRAQIS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN TO TAKE A STEP TO FORCE THEM TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN NATION.” “IT'S LONG OVERDUE. THE IRAQIS HAVE BEEN [DOING NOTHING] WHILE THEIR BAGHDAD CAPITAL HAS BEEN BURNING. THERE IS NO SOLUTION IN IRAQ OTHER THAN A POLITICAL SOLUTION,” LEVIN TOLD PBS NEWS. “WHY WAIT FOR MORE AMERICAN LIVES TO BE LOST?” DESPITE SEVERAL DEFECTIONS BY WELL-KNOWN REPUBLICANS IN RECENT WEEKS, DEMOCRATS ARE STILL BELIEVED TO BE SHORT OF THE 60-VOTE SUPER-MAJORITY NEEDED TO OVERCOME REPUBLICAN DELAYING TACTICS ON THE MANDATORY TROOP-WITHDRAWAL LEGISLATION. REPUBLICANS DISMISSED THE DEMOCRATS' MOVE AS A STUNT, WITH MINORITY LEADER MITCH MCCONNELL CALLING IT “BAD THEATER.”
