Senators Pull All-Nighter For Debate On Iraq War [View All]

Democrats rolled out cots and ordered pizzas as they settled in for a marathon Senate debate on Iraq last night that featured numerous speeches but little chance of getting any closer to resolving the stalemate over how to end the war.

Republicans were determined to block legislation forcing a withdrawal of combat troops, which was expected to come before bleary-eyed senators this morning in the nonstop session. Republicans dismissed the Democrats' overnight effort as political theatrics and vowed to enforce a 60-vote threshold for passing the withdrawal proposal, which would bring most troop homes by May.
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Although Democrats expect to fall well short of 60 votes today, they hope that the all-night session will show antiwar voters that the party is not relenting, despite continuing to fall short in its efforts to force the White House to change course.

The group VoteVets.org called in Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans to spend the night in the Senate gallery. MoveOn.org organized "counter-filibusters" in which protesters outside Senate offices and in other public places read firsthand accounts from Iraq war veterans and military families. "We'll send a clear message to senators and the media that this isn't about partisan games -- it's about people's lives," the group said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/17/AR2007071701864_pf.html