We’re being told to expect the first votes on DADT today in both the House and Senate. Earlier this week everyone was thrilled about this day. Then Sen. Robert Byrd, the West Virginia Democrat, went ahead and said he’s only voting for a DADT repeal if, even after repealing it and giving the Pentagon the decision to decide when to finally sign off on it, Congress would then get an additional 60-day review period.
Why the additional delay? Because Byrd wants to give “Congress an opportunity to re-examine” DADT even after it, uh, repeals it and gets the Pentagon to okay things.
The real question is whether other Senate Armed Services Committee members will agree. They need 15 votes; Byrd would the 16th and, if things go accordingly, unnecessary.
D'oh, The Magnificent
Read the language. It seems like a meaningless political gesture. Essentially it says a review period, but then they would be able to enforce implementation of new regs for gays openly serving. So, this sounds like one of those CYA political stuns meant to give some politician cover.
Agree about Byrd being unnecessary, and that’s probably why he didn’t try to stick any teeth into his attempts at delay. He wouldn’t have gotten them considering the number of votes that seemed already secure by the time he made the statement.
SugNight
He didn’t try and “stick any teeth into his attempt at delay” because he left them at home that day.
Also, I’m sure things were quite different when he fought in the Civil War.
Sine
Well, the review ends in December and the new Congressional term starts… hrm… And Byrd wants a 60 day review period after the review ends.
Really? Did no one catch that?
He might be a racist, who was a KKK officer; he might be a homophobe, who likened allowing openly gay soldiers in the military to the fall of the Roman Empire; but he is smart enough to make hateful political maneuvers. The committee has the 15 votes it needs, though, and should ignore this rotten old fuck.
Cam
I wouldn’t have expected anything different from a former Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan.
If the Dems are in the minority when the review is finished a GOP Congress could jsut sit on the report and kill it. This old racist knows that.
the crustybastard
Klansman says what?
Thomas Vinson
By a show of hands; Who thought that was a picture of a zombie, and not the most venerable Sen. Byrd? And by venerable I mean crotchy, bigoted Klansman.
Cam
@Thomas Vinson:
I’m thinking more along the lines of the Emperor
http://poeslaw.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/emperor-palpatine.jpg
reason
The man has renounced his old racist ways along time ago. I see no reason to continue to attack him on that. Forgive and leave it at that. If you disagre with him on something then elaborate on that instead of playing dirty race cards to stir up hate or to bait African Americans to sympathize with your views in order to discridit him on something that is in no way related to the sins of his past. These kind of games show you all have no respect for people that suffered under the crulity of the klan or racism, by using those memories to serve your own ends. This is not to attack anyone, it is a learning moment, it is very disrespectful and hurtful so don’t do it. I recall a wwII era Jew attack a younger guy that could have beat him to death becuase he was holding an Obama as Hitler sign, he and his family had suffered the crulty of Hitler and I could see the pain on his face of having someone belittle an evil reality for his own ends.
Jason_Activist
Senator Robert “Bigot” Byrd won.
After the study and the Pentagon and President “certify,” Congress will review and if they want, cancel the whole thing.
There are actions planned this weekend, including Dan Choi’s life-threatening hunger strike. People in West Virginia should be protesting Sen. Byrd and demanding he withdraw his amendment and his hatred. We may have to visit his Baptist Church, but we’ll find plenty of hate there.
Demanding = Rights