By Anne Flaherty
Associated Press  

WASHINGTON - The Senate blocked legislation yesterday that would have cut off money for combat in Iraq by June - a predictable defeat for Democrats struggling to pass less divisive anti-war measures.

The 28-70 vote was 32 short of the 60 needed to cut off a GOP filibuster. The legislation, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Sen. Russ Feingold, was indicative of the Democratic leadership's new hard-line strategy.

Hawai'i Sens. Daniel Akaka and Daniel Inouye, both Democrats, voted for the measure.

Twenty Democrats joined 49 Republicans and Sen. Joseph Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut, in voting to block the bill.

Democrats now have united behind a proposal that would order an end to combat within nine months. But that measure, by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., also was expected to fail because Republicans said they opposed setting a timetable.

"They want this war more than they want to protect our soldiers," Reid, D-Nev., said. "When I say they want the war, they want to protect their president more than they want to protect our troops."

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