Senate's effort to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" fails
By Ben ReiningaSeptember 21st, 2010, 6:53 pmComments (8)
Republican Senators prevented a debate on "Dont Ask, Don't Tell" from moving to the Senate floor, in a serious setback for those trying to repeal the bill. In a fifty six to forty three vote, senators fell short of getting the sixty necessary to start debate on the annual defense bill, which included an amendment to consider DADT.
The bill would also have allowed debate of the DREAM Act, legislation that would allow young immigrants to gain citizenship if they join the military or enroll in college. John McCain, an out-spoken opponent of the amendment (who was in favor of repealing DADT as recently as the 2008 election), called the planned debate:
A blatant and cynical attempt to galvanize the Hispanic vote in the case of the DREAM Act and to also energize the gay and lesbian vote in the case of 'Don't Ask, Don' t Tell.
The Senate won't have a chance to vote on the defense bill again until after the midterm elections, in a lame-duck and likely Republican-dominated Senate. Essentially, all likelihood of DADT getting repealed is gone, at least at any point in the near future.
Commentarium (8 Comments)
It's a stupid policy. I'm sorry to read this.
I think our best hope is the court challenge.
fuck republicans, fuck "values voters". they're keeping this country in the dark ages.
Here's a novel idea - all active gays should lay down their arms and refuse to serve until it's repealed.
well, with a majority of americans in favor of repealing this, it only makes sense that Republicans (and 2 a-hole Dems) stop this from being discussed.
@jmh That will never happen. They are soldiers and adhere to a strict code of conduct, no matter how flawed it may be. They serve for their country and those around them who have fought and died, they'd view abandoning their military brothers, just as heterosexual soldiers would, as cowardly, no matter the principle or reasoning behind the decision. This is a terrible and awful, yet not surprising, decision. But time lends itself to social progress and the opponents of equal gay rights are fighting a battle they can't win.
Outside of the fact that the military is working on a plan to do just this why was there a need to put this in the bill in the first place?
Could it have something to do with the upcoming elections and that the Dems can't run on any of the bills that they have passed because the general public doesn't like them?
How about discussing the fact that debate on any of the amendments was restricted by Sen Reid? Or that the bigger sticking point was the addition of the Dream Act?
There is much more to the issue than just repealing don't ask don't tell?
Prior to don't ask don't tell gays in the military were closeted and the military could ignore the social issues associated with a gay relationship, it just didn't exist to them. By recognizing gays the military now has a number of social and legal issues to deal with that it hasn't done in the past.
How do you deal with a gay member of the military who is married legally in Mass, and has children, when they are posted to a state that doesn't recognize gay relationships through marriage or social contract? What do you do about on base housing, schools for the kids etc etc etc.
The idea is to come up with a plan to make the repeal of don't ask don't tell work in all situations. The military is doing just that and is set to present that plan in December. Let's see what they come up.
Be mad at Harry Reed who couldn't get this through with his 59 Democrats and the sympathetic Republicans. He chose to play politics instead by attaching this stuff to another bill that Obama had already threatened to veto the house version of. Read the paper for your news.
Now you say something