The Senate has now voted, 51-46, to approve the $142.2 billion conference report (H.R. 1591; H Rept 110-107) fully funding the president's record-sized emergency supplemental war-funding request -- but with timetable goals for American soldiers' withdrawal from Iraq and billions of dollars in spending beyond his initial request. The House passed the conference report last night, and now it goes on to the president, who has promised repeatedly to veto it. The Congress has acted with alacrity in moving to the post-veto "Supp 2.0" phase legislation, with several ideas in circulation on the Hill. No ideas have issued from the While House other than opposition to the withdrawal timetables and spending over and above the president's request. But Bush will have time to mull while the conference report is:

• officially "enrolled"
• printed on parchment
• presented to the president

In all likelihoodhood, President Bush will have his first opportunity to veto a bill -- one that provides more war funding than he requested, conditioned by a "suggested" target date for troop removal -- on Tuesday of next week, the fourth annivesary of his announcement: my fellow Americans: Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the Battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.