Summary
WHAT DEMOCRATS NEEDED: The vote was 52-47 in favor of withdrawal, with four Republicans voting with Democrats, but the measure fell eight short of the 60-vote supermajority that Republicans insisted upon, using Senate rules. The total was also 15 short of the 67 that would be needed to override a veto. The House voted largely along party lines in favor of a withdrawal plan last week, passing it 223-201 - far short of the two-thirds needed to override a veto.
WHOM DEMOCRATS SWAYED: Democrats insisted on the all-night debate to try to stir public pressure on Republicans to break from Mr. Bush. But in the end only one Republican - Susan Collins of Maine - made a last-minute decision to join them, and she'd already been leaning that way publicly. Three other Republicans who voted for it - Sens. Olympia Snowe of Maine, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Gordon Smith of Oregon - had announced their support days before. Independent Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, who usually votes with Democrats, sided with Republicans.See the full content of this document
Extract
Withdrawal Plan Falls Short
WHAT DEMOCRATS ARE SAYING:...
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