Republican filibuster?

We are starting to hear wailing and gnashing of teeth over the Republican efforts to "cut off debate" on the Senate resolution regarding the troop surge in Iraq.

Here's another take on it.

Reid was done in when Senate Republicans insisted that they be permitted to offer an alternative to the Levin/Warner nonbinding resolution against the surge. When Reid refused to allow a vote on a resolution by Sen. Judd Gregg opposing any cut-off of funds for troops in the field, Republicans mounted a filibuster that Reid’s forces were unable to overcome. With only two defections, by Sens. Norm Coleman and Susan Collins, Republicans united behind their call for a full and fair debate on alternative options for the war.

Democrats wanted to oppose the politically unpopular troop surge with a nonbinding resolution that divided Republicans without facing a politically perilous vote on cutting off war funds that divided Democrats, so Reid refused to yield. Thus, Reid “blocked the debate” on the Iraq resolution as much as Republicans, although the headlines said otherwise. At least the New York Times editorial board — again — got it right when it said the Democrats’ goal of formally rebuking President Bush was made more difficult by “allowing the Republicans to maneuver them into the embarrassing position of blocking a vote on a counterproposal that [Democrats] feared too many Democrats might vote for.”