Some Republicans, particularly conservatives, have said White House mishandling was to blame for last month's Senate rejection of Judge Bork.
If Clinton wanted to avoid Senate rejection of his flawed pact, he was offered an honorable way out: Simply agree in writing not to bring it up next year.
The Senate rejection of the House bill on September 23, 2011 raised the possibility of a government shutdown on October 1.
The treaty, which would allow the United States to retain its largest military base in Southeast Asia for 10 more years, still seems headed for Senate rejection.
It greeted the Senate rejection with dismay, but was unable to reverse it.
It remains unclear whether a referendum on the bases could overturn a Senate rejection of the treaty.
It's his second major foreign policy defeat since summer; the first was the Senate rejection of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
Madison suffered major Senate rejections, one to the Supreme Court and one to his cabinet.
Realizing that Senate rejection was inevitable, Madison moved to withdraw the nomination the day after its submission.
Senate rejection of the treaty, she said, would be viewed as proof by Europeans that the United States cannot pursue a coherent policy.