WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats pushed for a vote yesterday calling for Defense Secretary Rumsfeld to be fired, but Republicans moved to head them off.

The minority leader, Senator Reid, a Democrat of Nevada, submitted the resolution, which blasted the Bush administration’s Iraq policy.”‘Staying the course’ is not a strategy for success,” it said.

Republicans called the move a political stunt and stood by Mr. Rumsfeld.

Even Democrats acknowledged that the Rumsfeld resolution, which is nonbinding in the first place, would be struck down on a point of order anyway, since it is not germane to the pending legislation, the Pentagon spending bill.

“The ‘stay the course’ policy in Iraq has made America less secure, reduced the readiness of our troops, and burdened America’s taxpayers with over $300 billion in additional debt. … One indication of a change of course would be to replace the current secretary of defense,” the resolution said.

Senator Stevens, a Republican of Alaska, the floor manager of the bill, rose to Mr. Rumsfeld’s defense and promised to kill the Democratic resolution on a point of order.

“This man deserves the support of the Senate, does not deserve the opposition I’m sad to say … on a purely political basis,” Mr. Stevens said.

The GOP blocking tactics would prevent politically imperiled Republicans from having to vote to support the way President Bush and Mr. Rumsfeld have handled the war, which is increasingly unpopular with the public.

Some Republicans, such as Senator McCain of Arizona, have sharply criticized Mr. Rumsfeld. And GOP candidates Tom Kean of New Jersey and Stephen Laffey of Rhode Island, who is giving Senator Chafee a very difficult race for renomination, have called for Mr. Rumsfeld’s resignation. Democrats say Mr. Rumsfeld, as an architect of the war, bears much responsibility for the difficulties that the military is facing in Iraq.