"CLEARING THE WAY FOR SENATE REPEAL OF DADT"

[Cha]

Steve Benen, Washington Monthly

.... As of yesterday, the question wasn't whether the votes were in place to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"; it was simply a matter of finding time on the shrinking lame-duck calendar in the Senate.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) announced late yesterday that he will be treated for prostate cancer today, but he also expects to be on the floor to support DADT repeal.

But with the unexpected demise of the omnibus spending bill, there's suddenly a window of opportunity. For those hoping to see DADT repeal pass, that's very good news...

Whether the votes are in place no longer appears in doubt. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) endorsed repeal on Wednesday, and Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) was even stronger in his support yesterday morning. By mid-day, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) confirmed that she's a "yes" as well.

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archive...hp#1874099

I'm thinking those who want this to happen are working furiously to make it happen.

[Joan Ruaiz]

Crawling towards progress on some issues....but getting there nevertheless! Great news and also Bout time!

[Cha]

(12-18-2010 12:18 AM)Joan Ruaiz Wrote:  Crawling towards progress on some issues....but getting there nevertheless! Great news and also Bout time!

As Benen says at the end of his piece.. "But at this point, everything appears to be lined up extremely well, and the smart money is on success by Monday."

I hope he's right! We'll soon find out.

[There Is No Spoon]

Gonna be keeping an eye out for this vote today - I'm very excited about it's potential passage!

[Scurrilous]

Repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Advances

<snip>

"After a 17-year struggle, the Senate on Saturday cleared the way for repealing the Pentagon’s ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military.

By a bipartisan vote of 63 to 33, the Senate acted to cut off debate on a measure that would allow President Obama to declare an end to the Clinton-era policy, known as “don’t ask, don’t tell,” which allows gay members of the armed forces to serve only if they keep their sexual orientation a secret.

The vote was a historic moment that some equated with the decision to end racial segregation in the military. It followed a review by the Pentagon that found little concern in the military about ending the ban and was backed by Pentagon officials as a better alternative to a court-ordered end."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/us/pol...9cong.html

[spazito]

(12-18-2010 11:14 AM)Scurrilous Wrote:  The vote was a historic moment that some equated with the decision to end racial segregation in the military. It followed a review by the Pentagon that found little concern in the military about ending the ban and was backed by Pentagon officials as a better alternative to a court-ordered end."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/us/pol...9cong.html

Damn, it is GREAT to see the NYT recognize the historic context on this issue and the cloture vote! I am on tenderhooks waiting for the final vote, I so hope it happens today but if it's tomorrow that's okay too. After waiting for so long, one more day isn't so bad really.

[azmouse]

What amazing times!