We'll Be Back

Here is Harry Reid's statement after a morning vote ended debate, aka the filibuster.

“Because Republicans continue to block votes on important amendments to the Defense Authorization bill, we can make no further progress on Iraq and this bill at this time.

For these reasons, I have temporarily laid aside the Defense Authorization bill and have entered a motion to reconsider.

But let me be clear to my Republican colleagues — I emphasize the word “temporarily”. We will do everything in our power to change course in Iraq. We will do everything in our power to complete consideration of a Defense Authorization bill. We must do both.

And just to remind my Republican colleagues — even if this bill had passed yesterday, its provisions would not take effect until October.

So we will come back to this bill as soon as it is clear we can make real progress. To that end, I have asked the Democratic Whip and Democratic Manager of the bill to sit down with their counterparts to work on a process to address all outstanding issues related to this bill so the Senate can return to it as soon as possible.

Do it again Harry. And again. And again .....

Update: I hadn't realized it. But Reid statement significantly ups the anty. His statement, in essence, is saying that there will be no further considering of war funding until these withdrawal amendments get and up or down vote. If he sticks to that, and that's a big "if", it would be a critical move by Senate Dems.

Spencer Ackerman added, “Because the Pentagon’s priorities won’t become law until a Defense Authorization bill is passed, the Pentagon’s fiscal 08 priorities won’t get funded until this standoff is resolved — and Reid is insisting that won’t happen until the GOP allows a vote on the Iraq withdrawal measures. That’s pretty significant.”