Reid Threatens to Keep Senate Up All Night, Republicans Yawn

Monday , July 16, 2007By Major Garrett and Trish Turner

WASHINGTON — 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has threatened to keep the Senate awake all night Tuesday to protest GOP blocking tactics on moves to compel U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq.

Senate Republican leaders, alerted to Reid's plans on Monday, said they have the votes to keep the president's surge policy in place, at least for now, and called Reid's up-all-night gambit a stunt that wouldn't change any minds.

Senior Democratic leadership aides said that Reid was planning a Tuesday all-mightier — complete with roll-away beds — to draw public attention to GOP demands that any changes to Iraq policy carry a 60-vote majority.

"Is this a publicity stunt? Yes," a senior Democratic aide told FOX News. "This is the only way we know to highlight their complete ignorance of the will of the people!"

Republicans said they've applied that standard for months on Iraq policy changes and aren't about the change now, especially when recent GOP defections have given Democrats bipartisan majorities on troop drawdowns and other policy changes.

Reid will seek a test vote Wednesday on an amendment by Sens. Carl Levin of Michigan and Jack Reed of Rhode Island to begin troop withdrawals late this year and have most combat forces out of Iraq by spring 2008.

Republicans predict that amendment will fall well short of the 60 votes required and probably attract no more than 55 votes, possibly fewer. Other non-binding policy changes are expected as well, but nothing is expected to garner the required 60 votes.

"The much-discussed Republican revolt has yet to materialize," a senior GOP aide said.