Senate Foes Of Troop Buildup Join Forces

[Hissyspit]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_IRAQ?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=HOME

Jan 31, 11:14 PM EST
Senate Foes of Troop Buildup Join Forces

By ANNE FLAHERTY
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Two senators, a Republican and a Democrat, leading separate efforts to put Congress on record against President Bush's troop buildup in Iraq joined forces Wednesday, agreeing on a nonbinding resolution that would oppose the plan and potentially embarrass the White House.

Sens. John Warner, R-Va., and Carl Levin, D-Mich., had been sponsoring competing measures opposing Bush's strategy of sending 21,500 more U.S. troops to the war zone, with Warner's less harshly worded version attracting more Republican interest. The new resolution would vow to protect funding for troops while keeping Warner's original language expressing the Senate's opposition to the buildup.

Levin replaced Warner as chairman of the Armed Services Committee when the Democrats took control of the Senate in January. Their resolution could well gain more support from members of both parties than their separate versions had been attracting. It lacks Levin's language saying the troop increase is against the national interest, and it drops an earlier provision by Warner suggesting Senate support for some additional troops.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he wants to begin debate Monday on the new measure, bypassing committee review. Levin's original resolution would no longer be considered unless offered as an amendment.

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[katsy]

1. Off topic: are you in the Tampa area? n/t

[Hissyspit]

3. No, just found that this is a good site for the latest AP articles.

Think I stole it from NNN0LHI, actually.

My brother lives in the Tampa area, though.

[katsy]

4. Wondering if Tampa is part of that "red" corridor.

Thanks!

[tabasco]

2. Please, Senators, stop Caligula Bush from sacrificing more lives !

Senators and Congressmen please stop this amoral tool of the oil companies!

[Ramsey]

5. Tampa is not red

It's a sprawling urban area with a Democratic base in the city and a more Republican leaning suburbs.