Iraq War

Iraq War Watch: Senate Rejects Democrat Resolutions on Iraq Troop Pullout

June 22, 2006 /

Graphic Courtesy of Michelle Malkin

AP: Senate rejects calls on Iraq troop pullout

The GOP-controlled Senate on Thursday rejected Democratic calls to start withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq by years’ end, as the two parties sought to define their election-year positions on a war that has grown increasingly unpopular.

“Withdrawal is not an option. Surrender is not a solution,” declared Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee, who characterized Democrats as defeatists wanting to abandon Iraq before the mission is complete.

In an 86-13 vote, the Senate turned back a proposal from some Democrats that would require the administration to withdraw all combat troops from Iraq by July 1, 2007, with redeployments beginning this year. No Republicans voted in favor of the plan.

Allah has the roll call votes:

Kerry-Feingold killed, 86-13. Recall that the previous version of the amendment was defeated 93-6 last week; the new version was substantially identical except that it pushed the deadline for complete withdrawal back six months from the end of this year to the middle of next.

The rolls are up. The 13 Dems who voted for Kerry-Feingold:

Akaka (D-HI)
Boxer (D-CA)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Wyden (D-OR)

Minutes later, the Senate rejected by 60-39 the proposal more popular with Democrats, a nonbinding resolution that would call for the administration to begin withdrawing troops, but with no timetable for the war’s end.

The roll call for Levin-Reed. Democrats voting against:

Dayton (D-MN)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)

Lieberman will take some flack for this vote (will he run as an independent?) and note Hillary caved under Leftie Netroots pressure and voted for Levin-Reed.

Well, there you go. Thirteen Left Senators voting to “Cut and Run.” The remaining Dims hide and vote for a meaningless watered down version of “Cut and Run.”

Not a ground swell of support is there?

Do the Democrats have a plan, besides “Cut and Run?”

NOPE.

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