Top senate Dems willing to take DADT off the table

[jackoroe]

Yes because conservative gays refuse to see the forest for the trees and somehow twist reality into making Republicans the heroes and the Democrats who are trying to repeal this bill into the enemies.

Yet it was Clinton who ended the blanket ban on gays, House Democrats who voted to repeal DADT, and Harry Reid who brought it up for a vote only to have John McJerk slap it down with a filibuster.

My point still stands. It's Clinton's policy. He signed it he owns it. I don't believe in rewarding people for trying. This isn't a game where we all go home with a trophy. Trying doesn't cut it, doing it does. Failing to have the onions to bring it to the floor is just beyond pathetic.

Republicans aren't heroes, but they don't pretend to be. We've established them to be assholes for the most part. Democrats have continually fucked us over on a promise to do something. And for some reason, we want to believe them. They've got an opportunity now, that they aren't going to have next year. Guess we're still fucked. Thanks Harry, your the best!

 

[jackoroe]

News flash genius, they already did that.

The Republicans obstructed it and it went nowhere.

What makes you think they won't be willing to do the exact same thing again (especially when they have said they will) ?

So just fucking cave and and go off with your tail between your legs. Buck up, things will bebetter next year!

 

[T-Rexx]

The president, the military, the Democratic Party, and the American people all want DADT repealed. A majority of the members of both the House and the Senate have voted for repeal. And yet we have no repeal.

There is one and only one reason for this: the Republican Party needs to satisfy its Christian fundamentalist overlords by forcing bigotry and hatred down the collective throats of the nation.

No matter that DADT is morally reprehensible, damaging to the military, and injurious to America. Such matters do not concern Republicans.

 

[hotatlboi]

So just fucking cave and and go off with your tail between your legs.

It never amazes me how in denial you guys are. It's somehow the Democrats fault that all the Republicans obstruct repeal so as to make it impossible?

How about the Republicans stop "fucking blocking" the repeal and do what's right and honor the dignity of gay servicemembers? How about that?

The Democrats alone do not have 60 votes. If the Republicans do not play ball, there is no moving forward on legislative repeal. It's as simple as that.

Now if there can be any persuading done to convince some of them to change their vote I'm all for that, but I don't know the reality or likelihood of that situation on the hill right now.

 

[hotatlboi]

the Dem leadership should make them hold up the defense spending bill. cable news would love to run a live feed of that

Again, they already did. It was filibustered and the bill went nowhere. And they have indicated they are more than willing to do so again.

 

[rareboy]

who attached DADT to a spending bill and what was the purpose?

the senate Leadership should make the buffoons bring the business to a standstill for all to see

I agree.

And it was an idiotic and cynical decision by Reid and Co. to do it.

 

[CowboyBob]

My point still stands. It's Clinton's policy.

Why is this Clinton's policy? Didn't it become Bush's policy when Clinton was out of office? Obama said it would be gone by the end of the year. Why do some here say this the Obama recession when it was Bush who started it? Let me hear you say this is the Bush recession since it started with him.

It's all the same with Republicans:

Bad things = Democrats get blame.

Good things = Republicans get credit.

God, this is boring.

 

[hotatlboi]

i thought it was a 'threat' of a filibuster

No, it was filibustered.

It failed a cloture vote.

I watched the debate almost all day that day.

make the bastards stand up do a real filibuster and block the military spending too

Again, they did. Please inform yourself.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/21/dont-ask-dont-tell-repeal_3_n_733565.html

 

[hotatlboi]

we are speaking about the this up coming lameduck session. at least i am

Sure, and I'm saying this logic of "make them filibuster it" is not the solution that people are implying will work (i.e. that the Republicans would be unwilling to hold up defense spending), since they've already proven they can and will block it that way.

The only thing that will work is if some of them change their minds and vote for repeal.

 

[jackoroe]

Is your amnesia really that bad?

Id get checked for Alzheimer's if I were you.

Reid did bring it to the floor.

We're all talking about the upcoming lame duck session of the Senate. Try and keep up, if you can. OK?

 

[Kulindahr]

John McCain, the biggest phony in the Senate, has threatened to filibuster since before the election. Otherwise, it would have passed by now.

Stop being so polite with the descriptions of McCain -- he a vile traitorous liar, enemy of most of the Bill of Rights.

Wait, wasn't John McCain for the repeal of DADT?

Only if the Joint Chiefs recommend it.

News flash genius, they already did that.

Really? I didn't notice how Republicans played tag team wearing themselves into exhaustion to stop debate.

Opportunity to do what? Hold Republican obstructionists at gun point and threaten them with their lives?

No, make them actually filibuster -- and no reading from the phone book, either, what they say has to be of substance. If McCain wants to stop the bill, make him stand there and talk. Maybe he'd talk himself into complete senility and do us all a favor.

 

[T-Rexx]

We're all talking about the upcoming lame duck session of the Senate. Try and keep up, if you can. OK?

There is no chance for repeal of DADT during the lame duck session. McCain has vowed to filibuster repeal of DADT during the lame duck session, as he did during the regular session. The Republican Party is united in its insistence that bigotry and hatred remain in place in the military - not a single Republican plans to vote for repeal. The Democrats still do not have 60 votes for cloture. DADT is with us for a few more years yet.

The Republican Party will use the rules of the Senate to stop repeal of DADT from happening, regardless of what the nation and the military want and need.

When asked how far he would go to prevent an attempt to repeal the controversial policy from being approved in the upper congressional chamber, McCain responded by saying, "Absolutely I will filibuster or stop it from being brought up until we have a thorough and complete study on the effect of morale and battle effectiveness."

The longtime senator said that it doesn't matter to him that Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen have both voiced support for stopping the enforcement of the ban on gay troops.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/17/mccain-filibuster-dont-ask-dont-tell_n_765702.html

 

[Kulindahr]

Again, they already did. It was filibustered and the bill went nowhere. And they have indicated they are more than willing to do so again.

Link, please? I want to see the video of McCain talking on and on, and resting by letting others speak for a while, but never yielding the floor or leaving the chamber, until the Democrats finally gave in to his tenacity.

 

[JB3]

There is no chance for repeal of DADT during the lame duck session. McCain has vowed to filibuster repeal of DADT during the lame duck session, as he did during the regular session. The Republican Party is united in its insistence that bigotry and hatred remain in place in the military - not a single Republican plans to vote for repeal. The Democrats still do not have 60 votes for cloture. DADT is with us for a few more years yet.

The Republican Party will use the rules of the Senate to stop repeal of DADT from happening, regardless of what the nation and the military want and need.

And the democrats are one senator down since Roland Burris is no longer in office.

 

[Kulindahr]

No, it was filibustered.

It failed a cloture vote.

I watched the debate almost all day that day.


Again, they did. Please inform yourself.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/21/dont-ask-dont-tell-repeal_3_n_733565.html

Nothing in that article even remotely suggests they did what BearDaddy is saying they should.

But regardless, Reid just has to make the decision, and make it an actual endurance event -- where Republicans can be filmed opposing the Secretary of Defense, opposing the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, opposing officers on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, opposing the majority of the enlisted folks, opposing the majority of military families, opposing the majority of the American people, and opposing a majority of their own party.
Put clips together right, and some of the haters could be shown to despise the military.

 

[Kulindahr]

Sure, and I'm saying this logic of "make them filibuster it" is not the solution that people are implying will work (i.e. that the Republicans would be unwilling to hold up defense spending), since they've already proven they can and will block it that way.

The only thing that will work is if some of them change their minds and vote for repeal.

I just read a half-dozen articles reporting on how it went down before, and still haven't found a shred of evidence that they were made to actually filibuster it; in fact one article pointed out that Reid could have done so and declined to exercise that option, allowing them to play the procedural game.

 

[T-Rexx]

I just read a half-dozen articles reporting on how it went down before, and still haven't found a shred of evidence that they were made to actually filibuster it; in fact one article pointed out that Reid could have done so and declined to exercise that option, allowing them to play the procedural game.

No, on September 21 the Republicans (McCain) did filibuster repeal of DADT. The Democrats cast 56 votes for cloture, four short of the necessary 60.

In a September 21st vote, Republicans used a filibuster to block Democrats from debating the issue on the Senate floor. They had 56 votes to move forward, four short of what they needed to overcome the filibuster.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20022129-503544.html

It would not surprise me in the least if Reid removes DADT from the defense authorization bill, in order to enable it to pass during the lame duck session. It would be nice if we were important enough to stand up for, but the Republicans have already demonstrated that that would be a lost cause. And Reid needs to get as much accomplished during the brief lame duck session as he can.

 

[palemale]

So just fucking cave and and go off with your tail between your legs. Buck up, things will bebetter next year!

For whom do you vote? Republicans, some loser third party, or do you just not vote?

 

[scream4ever]

"And the democrats are one senator down since Roland Burris is no longer in office. "

Kirk won't be sworn in until Dec. 3. Burris will remain senator until then, in which time a vote to break cloture could likely come up.

 

[T-Rexx]

"And the democrats are one senator down since Roland Burris is no longer in office. "

Kirk won't be sworn in until Dec. 3. Burris will remain senator until then, in which time a vote to break cloture could likely come up.

McCain has said he will filibuster DADT in the lame duck session. McCain said that he only filibustered DADT in September because the military's report on DADT is not yet out. He said he would support repeal if the military recommends it. But, now that the military is recommending it, McCain has begun criticising the coming report (due in early December) as not "truly" representing the military's "actual" position!!

McCain will filibuster repeal of DADT if it comes up during the lame duck session (he is negotiating with Democrats to get DADT removed from the defense authorization bill, so there is a good chance the issue will not even come up). But McCain will filibuster repeal, even though the military wants repeal, two thirds of the American public wants repeal, and a substantial majority of both houses of Congress have already voted for repeal.

56 votes (the previous vote) is not enough for cloture. Neither is 57 (every Democrat) or 59 (every Democrat plus the two independents). The Democrats would need some Republican votes.

But not one Republican senator supports gay rights.

Not one.