PICTURE of McCain playing poker during Syria hearing is up http://t.co/Po0shWTqO9 pic.twitter.com/ejMzAAbh0E

— E McMorris-Santoro (@EvanMcSan) September 3, 2013

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed the Syria War Bill out of committee. The vote was 10-7, with Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) voting present.

The narrow approval came after a three-hour briefing with top Obama administration officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry and James Clapper, the director of national intelligence.

Still, the tally in the committee shows President Barack Obama and Senate Democratic leaders’ difficult climb when the measure moves to the floor. Two Democrats on the committee — Tom Udall of New Mexico and Chris Murphy of Connecticut — rejected the authorization. And five Republicans on the panel — including potential 2016 contenders Rand Paul of Kentucky and Marco Rubio of Florida — voted against the measure.

Not a slam dunk but it did get out of committee so we could see a vote by the full Senate soon. Though Senator Rand Paul may filibuster.

“We’ll ask that there be a 60-vote margin,” Paul said. He clarified that he wasn’t certain whether he would insist on a talking filibuster: “Whether or not I’ll be standing up for a long time, I don’t know about that.”

Paul still thought it would pass the Senate and claimed only the House could stop the bill.