"Senate rejects exit timetable for Afghanistan"--Cantwell and Murray Voted "YEA"

Reuters:

The Senate rejected a proposal on Thursday to require President Barack Obama to submit a timetable for pulling U.S. forces out of Afghanistan, despite unease among some members of his own party over the nine-year-old war.

The 80-18 vote nixed a bid by liberal Democrat Russ Feingold for a detailed troop timetable, which he argued would avoid future "emergency" war spending bills such as the $33 billion one now before the Senate.

Most members of the Democratic-majority Senate proved unwilling to dictate to the president, with a buildup of 30,000 additional troops still underway that Obama ordered to Afghanistan and a new military push in the Kandahar area.

Adopting Feingold's plan would "reinforce the fear ... that the United States will abandon the region," Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, a Democrat, said.

Levin said this was unwise as the Taliban is "doing everything it can" to convince Afghans that U.S., NATO and Afghan forces cannot protect them.

But several senators in Democratic leadership positions did back Feingold's call for an exit strategy. Supporters included Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin and senators Patty Murray, Byron Dorgan and Chuck Schumer.

Majority Leader Harry Reid, however, opposed the proposal. Reid, who is in a tight race for re-election in a western state, said this week that "I've felt no impatience about Afghanistan in my caucus." MORE...

Howie P.S.: I spoke to Maria Cantwell's DC office this morning and was assured she voted YEA, as well.