Senate Backs Deadline For Withdrawing U.S. Troops From Iraq

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush isn't happy about it and plans to follow through on his threatened veto if necessary.<br/> <br/>This after the Senate voted 50-48 to block a Republican bid to strip

Tuesday, March 27th 2007, 7:16 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush isn't happy about it and plans to follow through on his threatened veto if necessary.

This after the Senate voted 50-48 to block a Republican bid to strip a deadline for withdrawing troops from Iraq out of a funding bill. It comes weeks after the House approved its own version of a withdrawal plan.

Majority Leader Harry Reid says the latest vote sends a message to Bush about the need for a new way forward in Iraq. But opponents like Arizona Republican John McCain say the U-S is starting to turn things around and that Iraq war critics are wrong.

Independent Democrat Joe Lieberman says those backing a withdrawal deadline are going to "snatch defeat from the jaws of progress in Iraq."

The final vote was considered so tight that Vice President Cheney was on Capitol Hill in case he was needed to cast a tie-breaking vote as Senate president.