I suppose no matter how gutless a deal Reid makes with the Republicans on keeping the Bush Billionaire Bonus, Republicans still intend to prevent a majority vote on DADT.
The US Senate will not have enough time to vote on lifting a ban on gays serving openly in the military before the end of the year, the Republican opposition leader said Sunday.
"I don’t see how we can possibly finish the defense authorization bill, a two-week bill, fully aside from these controversial items in it… before the end of the year," Mitch McConnell told NBC’s Meet the Press.
President Barack Obama’s Democratic allies have sought to use a lame-duck session of Congress to repeal the "Don’t Ask Don’t Tell" policy that bans openly gay men and women from serving in the armed forces.
If the Senate vote is pushed aside by other major legislation — including efforts to prevent a massive New Year’s tax hike and a nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia — it is much less likely to pass next year, when Republicans will assume more seats in the chamber.
Republicans oppose repealing the ban, saying it would disrupt military discipline and readiness at a time when US troops are fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
McConnell said he agreed with fellow Republican Senator John McCain that the ban should remain in place for the time being… [emphasis added]
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Bought Bitch Mitch and McCloset are opposing the will of the American People, the military leadership, and the troops themselves to pander to the religious bigotry of the pseudo-Christian Theocon wing of the Republican Reich. Shame! Bring on the courts!
6 Responses to “No Senate Vote on DADT”
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As veteran I think I have earned the right to say that no prisoner of war is a hero. A victim of a tragic circumstance at best but not a hero. And if the way I read the story was correct McCain was disobeying a direct order from his flight leader when he was shot down. he attacked low when he was told to back the hell off. But that was then and this is now. No man who was a POW was treated gently by their captor which has always made me wonder why the nation looked to McCain as some kind of military example. My ex-wife’s father was a POW in WWII and he never was called a hero except by his family and that had nothing to do with his military service.
But that aside. There are technically three weeks left to the 110th congress and the democratic caucus should force the Senate and the house to use every one of them. Why the hell they need a Christmas break is beyond me, they haven’t done a damn thing but sit on their ass and either whine and obstruct or backpedal on what they did accomplish.
This is not the country I wore the uniform of, it has morphed into something else in the past forty years. And this not the country you Tom, protested against it has morphed into something far more evil than the Nation divided but desiring healing lo those many years ago.
Mark, that makes good sense. I had read the same. It would seem to me that avoiding capture would have been more heroic.
You are right, Mark. My protest was against specific policies regarding the war, civil rights, and civil liberties. Never for a second did I entertain the offers I had to join the Communist party, but I did get a couple of them to resign. I thought I was doing them a favor. I never doubted that before this year.
Obama can get rid of DADT by executive order. He should just do that, and be done with it. Come on, Obama. Show some gumption. 🙄
Jerry, DADT is more complicated that Truman’s integrating the military, because there was never a specific law passed by Congress to segregate it in the first place. FDR just changed policy that had been set by the executive branch. I remember how I screamed when GW ChickenHawk refused to enforce laws Congress had passes through his infamous signing statements. Would I not be a hypocrite if I endorse Obama taking actions that I protested when Bush did it, just because I agree with the ends? The best thing he could do is to ask Holder for an opinion that DADT is unconstitutional and file that as a brief in court.
Jerry, you took the words right out of my mouth. And TC – this is not like Bush’s stupid signing statements. EO’s are issued all the time. I like the idea of Holder taking it up but he’s not a strong AG, so I’m not counting on him to win.
Lisa, EOs are executed all the time, but under the Constitution, the President lacks the authority to directly contradict a law passed by Congress.