Gordon Must Be Worried

The Democrats in the Senate turned back an attempt by Republicans to drop a timetable from the emergency spending bill.
Senate Signals Support for Iraq Timeline

The Senate today narrowly endorsed a Democratic-led effort to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq a year from now, voting down a Republican amendment that would have stripped the provision from a $122 emergency spending bill.

Senators voted 50 to 48 to reject the amendment, which was introduced by Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

And there was a sign that Oregon's own Gordon Smith is getting really worried about his election next year. He voted against Cochran's amendment.

Republican Sens. Chuck Hagel (Neb.) and Gordon Smith (Ore.) voted with the Democrats. Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) voted against the timetable, as did Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.) an Independent who caucuses with Democrats.