The Senate Goes On The Record For (And Against) Petraeus

Of the WH '08 Dems in the Senate -- HRC, Obama, Biden, and Dodd -- none supported the measure, which means, in essence, that no one chose to repudiate MoveOn.org's "General Betray Us" ad. It is hardly surprising, given the fact that Biden has been the only one to condemn the ad so far [calling it "a mistake," but not a "capital offense." Obama, meanwhile, merely said the ad was "counterproductive."]. And WH Dems can't afford to go on the record saying that they fully support Petraeus -- in the eyes of their primary voters, it would be tantamount to endorsing Bush's war policy.

Meanwhile, the Senate also voted on a similar Dem-sponsored resolution -- which more softly reaffirmed "strong support for all the men and women of the United States Armed Forces" and "strongly" condemned "attacks on the honor, integrity, and patriotism of any individual who is serving or has served honorably in the United States Armed Forces, by any person or organization." The Dem resolution failed to gain the necessary 60 votes for passage, in a vote of 51-46. But of the WH '08 Dems, Dodd, HRC, and Obama all supported the measure, while Biden did not vote.

However, even with her support of the Dem measure, it may be only a matter of time before Rudy Giuliani's camp fires off a press release, condemning HRC for yet again failing to acknowledge Petraeus' service and integrity [MAURA O'BRIEN].