Dems Vow All-Nighter on Iraq Debate

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Associated Press

By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer

The Senate this week will pull its first all-night debate on the Iraq war in advance of a vote on whether to bring home all combat troops by next spring, Democrats said Monday.

The rare, round-the-clock session Tuesday night through Wednesday morning is intended to bait Republicans into an exhaustive debate on the politically unpopular war, as well as punish GOP members for routinely blocking anti-war legislation.

"How many sleepless nights have our soldiers and their families had?" said Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

Democrats are trying to ratchet up pressure on Republicans who have grown uneasy with the lack of progress and begun questioning President Bush's military strategy.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/07/16/national/w152423D50.DTL&type=politics