WASHINGTON -- -- Capping a week of frustrating losses for critics of the war in Iraq, Senate Democrats fell 13 votes short Friday on a bill to order most U.S. troops home in nine months.

The measure, by Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), fell on a 47-47 vote, the latest defeat for Democratic-led proposals; it needed 60 votes to advance. On Thursday, a proposal to cut off funding by June garnered only 28 votes. And on Wednesday, a proposal to require more leave time between deployments came up four votes short, 56 to 44

Supporters of the war heralded the week's developments. They see them as a sign that a recent report card from Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, citing an improved security situation in Iraq, bolstered support among Republicans and bought military commanders some time.