ROOM AT THE ALAMO:

Energy Bill Vote Falls Short in Senate (Steven Mufson and Jonathan Weisman, December 7, 2007, Washington Post)

Senate Democrats failed to muster enough votes this morning to close debate on the energy bill passed by the House yesterday, setting the scene for a new round of negotiations over whether to strip out portions of the tax package and requirements for electric utilities to use renewable energy for 15 percent of their generation.

The Senate voted 53-42 to close debate, falling short of the 60 votes needed to permit a vote on passage even though the leading presidential candidates returned from the campaign trail to bolster the measure's chances.