The tussle between congressional Democrats and President Bush over the direction of the Iraq war intensified today as the Senate voted 51-46 to clear a war spending measure that seeks to withdraw most U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of March 2008.

The $124.2 billion conference report (HR 1591, H Rept 110-107 ), which would fund the war and assorted other priorities, such as hurricane recovery, agriculture disaster relief and a children’s health insurance program, was adopted Wednesday by the House.

Bush opposes the bill a for variety of reasons — mostly for the timetable for Iraq troop withdrawal, but also because billions of dollars in spending was added beyond his initial request. He has repeatedly vowed to veto the measure.

Democrats and Republicans are eager to send the bill to Bush for his veto, which would be the second of his presidency, so they can quickly try to override it. Only after that fails — as is likely — will lawmakers focus on crafting a bill Bush might sign.

House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John P. Murtha, D-Pa., said the bill would be sent to Bush on May 1 — four years to the day when Bush declared the end to major combat aboard an aircraft carrier in front of a large “Mission Accomplished” banner.

Murtha said that date was coincidental — lawmakers could not send the bill on April 30 because some House members will be in California to attend the funeral of Rep. Juanita Millender McDonald, D-Calif — but added that the timing was “ironic.”