And We Keep Blaming DEMOCRATS
Longer Leaves for Troops Blocked
Senate Bill Short of 60 Votes Needed
By Shailagh Murray and Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writers Thursday, September 20, 2007; Page A01
Senate Republicans yesterday rejected a bipartisan proposal to lengthen the home leaves of U.S. troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, derailing a measure that war opponents viewed as one of the best chances to force President Bush to accelerate a redeployment of forces.
The proposal, sponsored by Sens. James Webb (D-Va.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), failed on a 56 to 44 vote, with 60 votes needed for passage -- a tally that was virtually identical to a previous vote in July. A last-minute campaign by the Defense Department and the White House to kill the measure won over Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), an influential voice on defense policy who had voted with Webb and Hagel in July.
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Interesting to me that we drove out the Republican contro…