From todays’ New York Times:
WASHINGTON, June 22 — The Senate voted today against measures calling for the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, after a long and emotional debate that was in some ways reminiscent of the Vietnam War era.
The votes, 86 to 13 on one measure and 60 to 39 on the second, reflected not only deep divisions between Republicans and Democrats but within the Democratic ranks as well. The bitterness of the debate, and some comments afterward, made it clear that Iraq would be a dominant issue in this year’s Congressional elections, and perhaps in the 2008 presidential race.
The first measure was an amendment to a military-spending bill offered by Senators John Kerry of Massachusetts and Russell D. Feingold of Wisconsin, both Democrats. It would have set a July 2007 withdrawal date. But with a majority of Democrats voting “no,” its lopsided defeat was assured.
The second, more generally worded measure was also intended to scale down the American commitment in Iraq. It declared that it was “the sense of the Senate” that redeployment of United States troops from Iraq begin by the end of this year.
Only 12 Democrats and the lone independent, Senator James M. Jeffords of Vermont, voted in favor of the Kerry-Feingold proposal. The second measure was supported by 37 Democrats, Mr. Jeffords and one Republican, Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island. Six Democrats joined 54 Republicans in opposing it. They were Mark Dayton of Minnesota, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, Bill Nelson of Florida, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.
The South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
Hank Kalet 