WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate gridlocked on the Iraq war in a sharply worded showdown Saturday as Republicans foiled a Democratic bid to repudiate President Bush’s deployment of 21,500 additional combat troops.

The 56-34 vote fell four short of the 60 needed to advance a nonbinding measure identical to what the House passed Friday.

Democrats swiftly claimed victory anyway. “A majority of the United States Senate is against the escalation in Iraq,” said Senator Reid, Democrat of Nevada and the Senate Majority Leader. “As for the Republicans who chose once again to block further debate and protect President Bush, the American people now know they support the escalation” in troops.

Republicans blasted the Democratic leadership for refusing to allow a vote on an alternative that ruled out any reduction in money for troops in the field.

“There is no place for chicanery at a time of war,” said Senator McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the Senate Minority Leader. “Even some of the president’s most strident opponents know that. They know that the only vote that truly matters in a vote on whether to fund the troops.”

The vote marked the second time this winter that Senate Republicans have blocked action on nonbinding measures critical of the president’s war policies. This time, however, there were signs of restlessness within the GOP ranks.

Seven Republicans broke with their leadership – including five whose term ends with the next election – compared with only two on the previous test vote.

Saturday’s maneuvering occurred in an intensely political environment, both in and out of the Capitol.

The unusual weekend session sent presidential contenders in both parties scrambling to make the roll call.

One of them, Senator Clinton, Democrat of New York, squeezed in a morning appearance in New Hampshire, where she told one audience, “We have to end this war and we can’t do it without Republican votes.”

Nine Republicans skipped the Senate session, calculating that because they support Mr. Bush’s policies, their votes would not affect the outcome of the vote.

Among them were Senator McCain, Republican of Arizona, a presidential hopeful who campaigned in Iowa. In addition, at least two Republican lawmakers had left on an official trip to Iraq to check progress on the war.

The nonbinding measure disapproved of Mr. Bush’s decision to deploy more troops, and pledged to support and protect the troops in the field.

Even before the House acted, Mr. Bush had made it clear that congressional opposition would not deter him from proceeding with the deployment of another 21,500 troops, designed primarily to quell sectarian violence in heavily populated Baghdad.

Already, troops of the Army’s 82nd Airborne have arrived in Iraq. Another brigade is in Kuwait, in final training before proceeding to Iraq. Three more brigades are ticketed for the Baghdad area, one each in March, April and May.

In addition, the Pentagon is sending two Marine battalions to Anbar province in the western part of the country, the heart of the Sunni insurgency.

Polls show strong public opposition to the war, which as killed more than 3,100 U.S. troops. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have died, the majority of then since Saddam Hussein was toppled from power in the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003.

Democrats seemed eager to force Republicans into votes that might prove politically troublesome.

“They are torn between their president’s policy and the wishes of the constituents, but vote they must,” said Senator Schumer, Democrat of New York and the head of the Senate Democrats’ campaign committee.

But Senator Graham, Republican of South Carolina, said Democrats, too, were caught in a political squeeze play. He said the alternative pledging not to cut off money would have drawn as many as 75 votes, but accused Reid of blocking it to protect his rank and file.

“If you have this vote, the left, the radical Democratic left, would eat every Democratic presidential candidate alive,” Mr. Graham said.

Democrats in both the House and Senate have said the nonbinding measures would be only the first attempt to force a shift in Mr. Bush’s war policies.

In the Senate, Mr. Reid has told lawmakers he will turn anti-terrorism legislation into a forum for debate over the war. He has met privately in recent days with fellow Democrats as the leadership plans its next move.

“The Senate will keep fighting to force President Bush to change course,” Mr. Reid said at a news conference after the vote.

In the House, Democrats have said they will attempt to place restrictions on Mr. Bush’s request for an additional $93 billion for the military in an attempt to make it impossible for him to deploy all 21,500 additional troops.

Representative John Murtha, Democrat of Pennsylvania, has described a series of provisions that would require the Pentagon to meet certain standards for training and equipping the troops, and for making sure they have enough time at home between deployments.

Mr. Murtha and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., describe these provisions as designed to protect the troops.

Republicans argue the effect would be to deny troops needed reinforcements and are expected to try to block the restrictions.

The seven Republicans who voted to advance the measure were Senator Coleman of Minnesota, Senator Collins of Maine, Senator Hagel of Nebraska, Senator Smith of Oregon, Senator Snowe of Maine, Senator Specter of Pennsylvania and Senator Warner of Virginia. All but Ms. Snowe and Mr. Specter could face the voters in 2008.
Senator Lieberman of Connecticut, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, sided with Republicans on the vote.