An amendment calling for a short timetable to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq faced a lopsided defeat Thursday, failing 86-13. The Senate also rejected a second amendment that had a longer and more open-ended schedule for withdrawal. That failed 39-60.
The tallies were taken after finishing up about an hour and a half of debate on the Democratic measures following a late night session that ended near midnight Wednesday. After the vote, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said Democrats were pleased with the outcome.
"Being bogged down in Iraq like we have been makes America less safe, but that's apparently what Republicans want," Reid, D-Nev., said after the vote.
"Senate Democrats coalesced strongly this morning around a policy of changing the course in a balanced and common sense way," added Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., who sponsored the second amendment.
The first failed amendment, sponsored by Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, a former and possible future presidential candidate respectively, called for troops to be out of Iraq and redeployed elsewhere in the region by July 1, 2007.
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