BUSH "SURGE" PLAN ESCAPES SENATE CENSURE

President Bush last night successfully saw off a Senate vote of no confidence in his plan to send extra troops to Iraq, delaying a showdown between Congress and the White House over the war.

The vote came hours after he asked Congress for $624 billion (£319 billion) for the Pentagon for 2008.

Last night the Republican leadership loyal to Mr Bush blocked a full debate of a resolution opposing the President’s Iraq surge plan. It needed 60 votes in the 100-member Senate to proceed to a full debate, but received only 49.

The vote signalled that Mr Bush, despite deep misgivings among Republicans over his war strategy and the outright opposition of at least 10 Republican senators, is still, in the short-term at least, able to keep enough of his party in line. Many Republican senators who oppose the surge still balked at outright defection.

Democrats vowed to find a way to pass a vote of no confidence in the new surge
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