It really amounts to nothing more than abuse and neglect of American soldiers and their families.

Just got this from Sen. Webb?s office?

?In light of the Senate?s vote on Senator Webb?s amendment to support the troops, Senators Reid and Stabenow held a press conference on the importance of military readiness with members of military and veterans? service organizations. Below is a press release on the event:

AMERICA SPEAKS OUT ON THE WAR IN IRAQ: MILITARY READINESS

Senators join veterans and their families to discuss the strain of multiple deployments on the military

Washington, DC? U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senator Debbie Stabenow joined representatives of America?s veterans and their families Wednesday for the third in a series of events to underscore how each and every American, from every walk of life, is being impacted by the Iraq war and the failed policies of the Bush Administration. The events, themed ?America Speaks Out on the War in Iraq,? highlight Americans from across the country who are concerned about and affected by this war, but whose voices are often lost in the debate.

The Senators spoke alongside representatives from Veterans for America, the National Military Families Association and VoteVets.org about Senator Jim Webb?s amendment to begin the critical and long overdue process of rebuilding our badly overburdened military. The amendment will give our troops the time to properly train, prepare for and recover from battle, and ensures we do not leave our cities? and towns? first responders shorthanded.

?Our same soldiers are being deployed again and again. Our same National Guard troops are being deployed again and again. Like the President?s failed war strategy, this is not sustainable,? Reid said. ?Senator Webb?s readiness amendment begins the critical and long overdue process of rebuilding our badly overburdened military. Without this bill, our military is going to reach its breaking point, we are leaving our cities and towns shorthanded and we are shortchanging our brave men and women. We cannot ask our military to continue to fight without a strategy for success, and we certainly cannot ask them to fight before they are ready to do so.?

Said Stabenow: ?Our fighting men and women are the greatest single resource our military has and this government is abusing that resource. They put their lives on the line for us every day, and the least we can do is make sure they have the time they need at home between combat deployments to see their families and prepare for their redeployment.?

?We have heard from hundreds of service members who have served multiple deployments,? said Bobby Muller, President, Veterans for America. ?These brave men and women report that inadequate dwell time exacerbates their service-connected injuries. Our current deployment policies amount to abuse. As a result, the United States is facing, among other challenges, a mental health crisis for which our military and country are not prepared.?

Said Joyce Raezer, Chief Operating Officer of the National Military Families Association, ?Multiple deployments, repeated extensions, a lack of predictability, and diminished time at home between deployments continue to take their toll on military families. How can service members or families fully recover from one deployment if they must almost immediately prepare for the next one??

But can someone help me understand how the Republicans simply threatening a filibuster can render a 56-Senator majority vote null and void?

When this rule is invoked then there have to be 60 votes in favor in order to proceed.

no they swear allegiance to a putz that tells them to put his name in every speech they give.
sounds like nazi germany to me.
haul them all away to gitmo.

This is a disgrace and shows the true colors of the Republicans who claim to be all about the troops.  Another round of yellow magnets for the yellow curs in the audience, please. 

yellow elephants. The difference is that, unlike their cute grey cousins, the yellow elephants have no memory at all (vide their various testimonies), no hearts and no minds.

For independents, Bernie Sanders voted aye and Liebermutt voted no.

Senators not voting:  Tim Johnson, Vitter (he's got bigger fish to fry), and Sam Brownback.

Republicans voting aye: 

Coleman (MN), Hagel (NE), Snowe (ME), Collins (ME), Smith (OR), Snowe (ME), Warner (VA), Sununu (NH).

why many of us supported Lamont so strongly last year?  Lieberman is the pits.

the rethugs hate the troops. more money for big corporations. don't fund the war, vote against the appropriations bill.
no funding for war.
no funding for cheney's office.
nada.

The only bright side of that vote(which surprised me) was Warner voteD YES. Of course if he had done it early he might have carried enough votes to support the bill.

REPUBLICANS DO NOT SUPPORT THE TROOOPS, THEY SUPPRT THEIR OWN POCKETS AND HOLYIER THEN THOU AGENDA.

Boy, his vote was such a surprise!

Not.

I think now is an opportunity to push ethics reforms. 

There is just no doubt about it - Republicans hate the troops, pure and simple.  And the United States of America, those of us here and those of us "over there", will never, ever forget this.

This is a new low for this group of traitors.  Just despicable.

Grouped by Home State ("Nays" are bolded)

Alabama: Sessions (R-AL), Nay Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Alaska: Murkowski (R-AK), Nay Stevens (R-AK), Nay
Arizona: Kyl (R-AZ), Nay McCain (R-AZ), Nay
Arkansas: Lincoln (D-AR), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Yea
California: Boxer (D-CA), Yea Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Colorado: Allard (R-CO), Nay Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Connecticut: Dodd (D-CT), Yea Lieberman (ID-CT), Nay
Delaware: Biden (D-DE), Yea Carper (D-DE), Yea
Florida: Martinez (R-FL), Nay Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Georgia: Chambliss (R-GA), Nay Isakson (R-GA), Nay
Hawaii: Akaka (D-HI), Yea Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Idaho: Craig (R-ID), Nay Crapo (R-ID), Nay
Illinois: Durbin (D-IL), Yea Obama (D-IL), Yea
Indiana: Bayh (D-IN), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Nay
Iowa: Grassley (R-IA), Nay Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Kansas: Brownback (R-KS), Not Voting Roberts (R-KS), Nay
Kentucky: Bunning (R-KY), Nay McConnell (R-KY), Nay
Louisiana: Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Vitter (R-LA), Not Voting
Maine: Collins (R-ME), Yea Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Maryland: Cardin (D-MD), Yea Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Massachusetts: Kennedy (D-MA), Yea Kerry (D-MA), Yea
Michigan: Levin (D-MI), Yea Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Minnesota: Coleman (R-MN), Yea Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Mississippi: Cochran (R-MS), Nay Lott (R-MS), Nay
Missouri: Bond (R-MO), Nay McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
Montana: Baucus (D-MT), Yea Tester (D-MT), Yea
Nebraska: Hagel (R-NE), Yea Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Nevada: Ensign (R-NV), Nay Reid (D-NV), Yea
New Hampshire: Gregg (R-NH), Nay Sununu (R-NH), Yea
New Jersey: Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
New Mexico: Bingaman (D-NM), Yea Domenici (R-NM), Nay
New York: Clinton (D-NY), Yea Schumer (D-NY), Yea
North Carolina: Burr (R-NC), Nay Dole (R-NC), Nay
North Dakota: Conrad (D-ND), Yea Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Ohio: Brown (D-OH), Yea Voinovich (R-OH), Nay
Oklahoma: Coburn (R-OK), Nay Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Oregon: Smith (R-OR), Yea Wyden (D-OR), Yea
Pennsylvania: Casey (D-PA), Yea Specter (R-PA), Nay
Rhode Island: Reed (D-RI), Yea Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea
South Carolina: DeMint (R-SC), Nay Graham (R-SC), Nay
South Dakota: Johnson (D-SD), Not Voting Thune (R-SD), Nay
Tennessee: Alexander (R-TN), Nay Corker (R-TN), Nay
Texas: Cornyn (R-TX), Nay Hutchison (R-TX), Nay
Utah: Bennett (R-UT), Nay Hatch (R-UT), Nay
Vermont: Leahy (D-VT), Yea Sanders (I-VT), Yea
Virginia: Warner (R-VA), Yea Webb (D-VA), Yea
Washington: Cantwell (D-WA), Yea Murray (D-WA), Yea
West Virginia: Byrd (D-WV), Yea Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Wisconsin: Feingold (D-WI), Yea Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Wyoming: Barrasso (R-WY), Nay Enzi (R-WY), Nay

I don't want to hear them prattling about their "concerns" when they're willing to march in lockstep with Bush on something that directly affects the welfare of the troops.

All that pap about interfering with the executive.  WTH did they run for the Senate if they didn't want to be part of the checks and balances put in place by our constitution?

Everyone out there who has access to cable and a little time on your hands, I hope C-Span2 reruns the debate this evening.  I was very impressed with Webb's spirited defense of the legislation.  He was cogent and on target and conveyed just right amount of fervor without letting it run away with him.  Speaking as someone who does advocacy in public for a living, let me tell you, it was impressive.  He hit all his points and kept his focus.  Great work. 

I'll admit it. I'm really scared now that we cannot stop these assholes. We're going to be in Iraq forever. 4-5000 troops killed. Tens of thousands wounded.
I'm freaking and not to pround to say so. Next thing Dumya will be declaring that he is the president forever-no elections. Nancy and Harry wringing their hands.

At least we have Jim Webb.

sorry- proud.

...by winning back the White House in 2008.  If not, we're screwed in a lot more areas than just Iraq.

Warner's vote On Jim's amendment, I was wondering why Warner waited so long to vote, but after the Nagel amendment vote I now know why.

His vote meant nothing but a jester to Jim, because he knew the amendment was defeated.

When he VOTED "NO" for the Hagel amendment he showed his truer colors.

He is a hypocrite, traitor to the troops and the worst kind of senator any good state like Virginia could have. He supports the troops; my a--

Warner does not support the troops. He cares nothing about the troops. All he cares about is his Political party and his retirement.

I am totally pissed at this worthless piece of sh--. along with his Republican Party. Most are a bunch of worthless; can't even find a good word for it.

REPUBLICANS HATE OUR TROOPS.