DADt repeal on life support

[hotatlboi]

Prospects for legislative repeal of DADT appear to be dwindling.

Senator Levin has gone on the record as saying he is open to striking that provision from the defense bill to obtain passage.

At this point, the only way it looks like it is going to pass is if a separate vote is held, however that could force it to be watered down with amendments that would make it very hard to proceed on the repeal.

http://www.washingtonblade.com/2010/11/17/‘don’t-ask-don’t-tell’-repeal-‘barely-hanging-on’/

 

[rareboy]

Prospects are dead.

Not just on life support.

 

[hotatlboi]

Prospects are dead.

Not just on life support.

Let's hope the courts make it go away.

I'm still optimistic on the courts, we've seen 3 major rulings for gay rights recently there.

 

[White Eagle]

I love Arianna, especially the para after the --snip--.

http://www.alternet.org/sex/148896/we'll_beat_dadt_--_but_it'll_be_a_fight/?page=entire

Huffington Post / By Arianna Huffington

We'll Beat DADT -- But It'll Be a Fight
It's as if we are watching the struggle unfold on a split screen: progress on one side, setbacks on the other.
November 17, 2010 |


Protesters chaining themselves to the White House gate Monday, objecting to what they called the "silent homophobia of those who purport to be our friends and do nothing," capped a tumultuous few days in the fight to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" -- and the larger fight for equality.

There was the one step forward represented by the leak of a Pentagon study showing that 70 percent of active-duty and reserve troops surveyed thought lifting DADT wouldn't have a negative impact on America's armed forced. Followed by the two steps back of the Supreme Court's order on Friday allowing the ban on openly gay soldiers to remain in effect while the Obama administration fights a federal appeals court ruling that the policy is unconstitutional, and John McCain -- who has said in the past that he'd be open to repealing DADT -- making it clear that, in fact, he wouldn't. Not now. Not yet.

--snip--

On the other, General James Amos, the new commandant of the Marine Corps is arguing against repeal, using the old canard, disproved in the armed forces of many of our allies, that repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" would somehow hurt "combat effectiveness." What does that mean anyway, that gay soldiers can't shoot straight? That straight soldiers can't shoot gay?

 

[JayHawk]

"We hope he is willing to work with us on these priorities. But as I have said, our new majority will be the voice of the American people as they expressed it so clearly yesterday," Boehner said.

Don't just nay say it. Write to your Republican or Democratic Senators and demand that they hear the voice of the American people.... it is clear.

More than three-fourths of Americans favor repealing "Don't ask, don't tell," according to a new CNN poll.

Fully 50% of those surveyed said gays should be allowed to serve openly, while 38% said they favor allowing gays to serve under the current “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. One in 10 said gays should not be allowed to serve in the military at all.

Because it's about this gays in the military thing. Listen, Congress. The majority of the people have spoken -- as many as 78 percent of them in a May CNN poll, 50 percent in a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News survey. And it's not so much "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," as simply, "Don't Care."

Don't care if homosexual men and women openly serve in the armed forces as long as they do their job and defend their country. Don't care what military men and women and men and men and women and women do in their spare time as long as it doesn't involve minors, criminal activity or abuse. Don't care because it's none of our business.

An internal Pentagon study finds that most U.S. troops and their families don't care whether gays are allowed to serve openly and think the "don't ask, don't tell" policy could be dropped, the Associated Press reports, quoting officials familiar with its findings.

Me and a Master Chief (Senior Enlisted leader) had a discussion about this today as CNN was reporting on the issue and the support in America for tossing this useless policy. He just said the overiding opinion amongst those i have spoken with "Just let them serve; its not like they arent anyways".

The conversation was concerning manning as we were discussing getting the lame ducks off our rolls so we could develop a req for a new sailor on our command. Basically when a Sailor gets hurt, fails physically, or fails in good order and discipline you have to attrite them before you can get a replacement but that still means at least a six month gap for the system to provide a new person who then requires training to get up to speed. So bottom line is if you have a solid performer you will usually fail to notice anything about their sexuality because it is too damn difficult to enforce a policy that hurts your combat efficiency and is tolerated by almost all.

I have relayed this to Boehner and would like it if each of you would relay. Dems have a hard time with message...provide them one, hold Boehner accountable for his words "Listen to the voice of America"

Well Sir that voice is loud and clear.

Repeal DADT.....

 

[swerve]

Wait a second...

I thought they were waiting on the OFFICIAL RELEASE of the Pentagon study...

Its not even HERE YET...

 

[T-Rexx]

Repeal of DADT is dead for at least the next two years (but probably quite a lot longer than that).

The Republican Party is not going to allow it to happen. Period. They have their religious fundamentalist overlords to answer to, so the issue is dead for now - no matter what America wants or needs.

 

[frankfrank]

Senator Carl Levin caved!!!!

Barack Obama talked to him and may actually be showing some spine. Obama has finally said something specific about repeal, rather than the vague "on my watch" with no hint of a timetable. I don't know much yet...this is very much "new news."

Let's hope this is the beginning of the end of LEGALIZED AND MANDATORY DISCRIMINATION in the federal government.

 

[JayHawk]

They need to esnure when the R 's object they jam Boehner's words down his throat. Publicly question how much they will listen to the people if they can't get the first one correct.

 

[hotatlboi]

Hold yer horses.

Well that's very refreshing. Reid actually grew some balls. Who knew.

Now the effort begins to lobby the moderate GOP senators on the issue.

HEAVY emphasis needs to be placed on their prior statements (that they were waiting for the study) and that the study is now here and is in favor of repeal.

McCain has already shown that that reason was not real for him and was just the latest convenient excuse he spouted so he didn't have to say what his real motivation was (how much he hates gay people), and when that reason was taken away he pivoted to "we need yet another study". The question is how many GOP senators who said this were telling the truth and weren't just using it as a PC excuse? Realistically there's 4-5 max.

 

[Kulindahr]

From Levin's website:

WASHINGTON – Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., said the following today:

“I welcome Senator Reid’s announcement that he will bring up the National Defense Authorization Act after Thanksgiving. I will work hard to overcome the filibuster so that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is repealed and the NDAA --- which is critical to our national security and the well- being of our troops --- is adopted.

“I have asked Senator Reid to make his motion to bring up the matter after my committee and the public have received the defense department’s report and following the hearings that I plan to hold on the matter, which should take place during the first few days of December.”

http://levin.senate.gov/newsroom/release.cfm?id=328623

 

[chance1]

very disheartening

and i loathe the idea that this issue is not at the top of anyone's list as if fixing unemployment has anything to do with basic rights

i will always hate john mccain for his role in this

he is bullying this issue with bullshit about the generals and a full study that is not based on the foregone conclusion that its a done deal

any soldiers/generals/etc who have a problem with it can get out as far as i am concerned

give in your gun now

same as if they wouldn't serve with blacks

it's total bullshit

we're at the bottom of the "list" now - things to fix in america

back to the bottom

 

[Kulindahr]

I suggest we each email this to every Congresscritter we think might be wavering:

 

[chance1]

I suggest we each email this to every Congresscritter we think might be wavering:

good one kuli

 

[Sausy]

very disheartening

and i loathe the idea that this issue is not at the top of anyone's list as if fixing unemployment has anything to do with basic rights

i will always hate john mccain for his role in this

he is bullying this issue with bullshit about the generals and a full study that is not based on the foregone conclusion that its a done deal

any soldiers/generals/etc who have a problem with it can get out as far as i am concerned

give in your gun now

same as if they wouldn't serve with blacks

it's total bullshit

we're at the bottom of the "list" now - things to fix in america

back to the bottom

Well stated,chance!

I suggest we each email this to every Congresscritter we think might be wavering:

The drawing says a whole lot without screaming....very powerful,Kuli.

 

[Kulindahr]

Here's the first target group:

Gregg (R-NH)
Brown (R-MA)
Collins (R-ME)
Snowe (R-ME)
Lugar (R-IN)
Voinovich (R-OH)

Lets get sending --

 

[Kulindahr]

It just occurred to me that Congresscritters may not open links in email. Anyone know how to embed this cartoon?

 

[Kulindahr]

^ Blast.
It seemed like such a good idea.

Well, we can always print and mail.

 

[hotatlboi]

Thanks for posting Kuli. There are also a few Democratic Senators who need targeting, I believe they are the two Virginia Senators and maybe one other.

The Arkansas senators are two more.

Now that Lincoln has lost, perhaps she can be persuaded to stop appeasing the bigots in her state and do the right thing.

 

[Kulindahr]

Thanks for posting Kuli. There are also a few Democratic Senators who need targeting, I believe they are the two Virginia Senators and maybe one other.

The Arkansas senators are two more.

Now that Lincoln has lost, perhaps she can be persuaded to stop appeasing the bigots in her state and do the right thing.

Add 'em on here. Let's get that list right up front where people can see it.

I wonder if the mods could make this a sticky, or sticky a link to it, for every forum on the board?



Let's add snail-mail addresses, too -- hit 'em every way we can.