By yanking the defense authorization bill until the GOP ends its filibuster of the Reed-Levin bill (which really DOES get our troops out of Iraq), Reid also prevents any of the weak-ass pretend-withdrawal legislation from being considered -- and forces the "mavericks" to put up or shut up:

4. What are the prospects for the Dems succeeding in breaking the GOP filibuster? They're actually better now that the softer Iraq amendments can't get passed. That's because yanking the bill rules out the introduction of other, nonbinding amendments that nervous Republicans were inclined to support. Without the option of supporting such amendments, Republicans can't plausibly claim to constituents to have done anything to stop the war. In turn, that increases the pressure on them to support the only available option left -- i.e., a binding measure mandating withdrawal, such as the one favored by Dems. That's probably the real reason why Republicans are furious with Reid today for removing the bill and all its amendments. (Well, that and sleepiness.) Case in point: Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA). In his floor statement right after the cloture vote failed, a visibly angry Specter inveighed against the Senate's lack of debate on the most prominent GOP amendment -- John Warner and Richard Lugar's toothless proposal for Bush to submit a post-surge strategy to Congress after Petraeus's report. Specter, clearly, wanted the option of supporting Warner-Lugar, an option Reid has taken away. As a result, when debate eventually resumes, Specter will have to choose between either staying with the surge or mandated redeployment. Even for a moderate GOP Senator not up for reelection next year, stark choices are not pleasant ones.

This, not the all-night session, is the real story here.

Not that the all-nighter was chopped liver, mind you. Reid needed the all-night session, with the inevitable failure to achieve cloture as the "mavericks" dutifully lined up for the most part behind Bush and staying in Iraq forever (a few did vote for cloture, but only after being assured that their votes were meaningless as there wouldn't be enough overall to actually pass it). This helped to demonstrate, again, that the "mavericks" may talk tough but fall in line behind Bush and against the American people when crunch time hits. The mavericks figured that they could always vote for Warner-Lugar or the other bogus legislation that was floating around Congress.

Except now they can't.

They are now backed into a corner with precisely two (2) options:

Vote to get us out of Iraq, or:

Vote to please Bush. Who America now hates with a passion because of his senseless war.

The choice is theirs.

[UPDATE: DrenchedOtter over in a Fire Dog Lake comments thread reminds me that Reid had even given the Republicans the chance to vote on their bogus Warner-Lugar and Salazar legislation if they would only end the filibuster. They refused, as he knew they would — and then and only then did he yank the defense authorization bill. That totally gives the lie to Specter’s "Waaaah! He won’t let us vote for Warner-Lugar!" baloney. Hey, he gave you the chance and you turned it down, boyo.]