Olympia Snowe

Republican senators blocked a vote on a bill to provide aid for small businesses, using procedural tactics to stymie President Obama's election-year agenda. Each side accused the other of playing politics.

Democrats moved a step closer to passing a Wall Street reform bill -- and handing President Barack Obama an election-year victory -- after securing the support of three Republican senators: Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both of Maine, and Scott Brown of Massachusetts.