WASHINGTON - Republicans in the Senate blocked not only a vote, but even a debate, on a bipartisan resolution opposing President George W. Bush's troop "surge" in Iraq.
The move dealt a big blow to critics of the war, and defied the will of the electorate as expressedin last November's mid-term Congressional elections.
In the crucial procedural vote, the Democratic-driven proposal mustered a majority of 49 votes to 47, but was far short of the 60 required to end a filibuster and bring the resolution to the Senate floor. The measure was non-binding and Bush had made it clear he would ignore it. But its passage would have been a clear and humiliating repudiation of his policy.
At the best of times, Democrats have only a two-seat majority in the 100-member Senate. But their strength has been reduced to only 50 because of the illness of Tim Johnson, the Senator for South Dakota.
They had been hoping for support from up to a dozen Republicans - many of them facing tough re-election campaigns in 2008 - who have have criticised Bush's decision to send a further 21,500 combat troops to Iraq. In the end, pressure from the White House brought the waverers into line.
Bush yesterday sent his 2008 budget to Congress, requesting US$622 billion ($925 billion) for spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
