[Praxius]

Oh.... Update already:

BBC NEWS | Americas | US Senate rejects Iraq troop bid

Democrats in the US Senate have failed to force a vote on whether to withdraw troops from Iraq by the end of April, despite a rare all-night debate. Beds, pillows and snacks were brought in for the 24-hour session, aimed at putting pressure on the Republicans who have been blocking the vote. But a crucial handful of Republicans who have criticised the president's Iraq policy refused to back the plan. Republican leaders dismissed the debate as a publicity stunt. Republicans have been blocking a vote on the troop withdrawal by requiring Democrats to clear a procedural hurdle of 60 rather than a simple majority of the Senate's 100 members. Bringing to a close the marathon talks, the senators reached a majority but fell short of the threshold needed to move the proposal forward. Sleepless night Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to lobby members of the Senate and the House of Representatives on Mr Bush's Iraq policy. The legislation, proposed by Democratic senators Carl Levin and Jack Reed, required the withdrawal of most US troops from Iraq by the end of April 2008, with redeployment starting within 120 days of the bill's passage. Even if the measure had been passed, President George W Bush has said he would veto any bill that called on him to set a timetable for withdrawing troops. Opening the round-the-clock debate on Tuesday, Democrat Richard Durbin said: "The Senate spending a sleepless night is no great sacrifice. Soldiers and families who pray for them spend many sleepless nights." But Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said: "Our enemies aren't threatened by talk-a-thons, and our troops deserve better than publicity stunts." Many Republicans have backed Mr Bush's call to wait until a 15 September progress report on Iraq before considering a change in direction.