Supposedly there might be a vote on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell today, but only if “Republicans block a series of other measures, including an immigration bill.” C’mon, GOP: Fulfill your American duty and keep stalling on that other crap! UPDATE It appears tonight’s vote will be delayed, as Harry Reid works out a deal with Republican Sen. Susan Collins over how many hours of debate each party will receive, as the GOP attempts to insert amendments into the NDAA bill. That, and the Republicans want their tax breaks before they’re willing to discuss the gays.
chain of events
DADT Repeal Vote: Delayed, Until Republicans Get Their Tax Breaks
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Bob
Repel of DADT is more important than passing a bill to allow illegal immigrants (basically the children criminals who jumped our borders) to obtain legal status!
Red Meat
@Bob: Wow I could almost be cynical enough to wish DADT is not repealed for so ignorant AND gay. The irony.
Red Meat
for being^
J Dav
Wow,
Sometimes when I read the comments here I am shocked by how racist and/or sexist and/or xenophobic people in the LGBT community can be. It is quite sad.
AndrewW
Let’s do the math:
The good news is Mark Pryor has signaled he supports repeal, so that’s +1, to a possible 57, but Joe Manchin is probably -1, leaving us at 56 votes. No word from Blance Lincoln.
If it makes it past the Cloture vote, because Snowe, Collins and Brown get “time for amendments” it looks like they’ll just run out the clock. So, it’s a quick death or one that will take the next week.
I still believe the whole “DADT Compromise Repeal” is a clever charade by the Democrats and the LGBT-advocacy industry. It’s a show. Soon, we’ll hear “we were so close” and “please send more money.” That request should be denied.
reason
@Bob: I think the dream act has a lot of potential, they should make a few tweaks and it will be ready to go. It is a great incentive for Hispanics to achieve and they as well as our country would be better for it. The youth are in a tough situation, they did not choose to break the law. If they prove that they are dedicated to achieving and producing for this country we would be stupid not to take them. I don’t see how you can ask for rights when you would so callously deny them for others.
@AndrewW: You have Dick Lugar and Murkowski as well, and the democrats are looking to extend the lame duck session past Christmas if need be.
AndrewW
@reason: I don’t think any Republicans will do anything until the “government is funded and the tax cuts are extended” like their letter signed by all 42 said.
This vote seems premature.
reason
@J Dav: Isn’t it. When I was really young I thought that the GBLT community would be the most forward thinking and accepting community out there. Then you grow up and realize that they can be just as wicked as anyone else from any other group. Stupidity is not just an affliction of the straight community.
Vermont
K fellas I’ll break it down to who we should look to.
Dems – Last time the bill Failed with only 56 votes. Pryor, Lincoln Reid voted against. This time, Pryor will vote in favor, Reid will too, so that puts us at 58. Since Byrd died, and we have Manchin, we don’t know how he’ll vote, so we are jumping between 57-58 votes. My guess is that Lincoln will vote in favor, she just lost reelection so there’s no point not to. So we’re at 57 with a potential 58.
Reps – The Republicans that we need to keep an eye on for cloture this time around are: Scott Brown, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, Lisa Murkowski, Richard Lugar, George Voinovich, Kit Bond, John Enseign, Mark Kirk, and Judd Gregg.
It’s all in Republican hands to be honest. This is the last shot for repeal. If this doesn’t pass, repeal is dead. Just hope, all we can do.
reason
H@AndrewW: Happening today would be premature, but happening this session is not out of the question. The dems seem poised to do everything in their power to make it happen even if it means missing Christmas. You know to the GOP it is like a Bride missing her own wedding. The tax solution is in motion and the president is paying a political price for it, but it is paving the way for a possible DADT repeal, the Dream act, and the START treaty. I am against extending unpaid tax cuts for the top 2%, but I am cognizant of the circumstance it is being done under. Also if it cost the taxpayers 100 billion dollars to destroy another pillar of discrimination then so be it. After all the taxpayer is culpable for the discriminatory actions of our country. It also should not be lost on people the economic cost of discriminating to the point that people don’t reach their true potential, we have already lost trillions of dollars in opportunity cost. In the end the country is drowning in deficits due to a deficit in character.
Steve
I’m seriously becoming mroe ashamed of this coutnry with every passing day.
Our Founding Fathers would absolutely HATE this. They established the government the way it was so that it could effectively serve the people. Instead, these fucking politicians are using their power to get their way like a bunch of spoiled brats. How the fuck do they hope to run this country by sitting on their ass and pouting? How can they effectively please the people when they refuse to talk about anything except one thing? How do they expect to end the war, fix the economy, etc. when all they want is to keep their money to themselves.
They might make President Obama look bad and not get him re-elected, but right now I can’t see how acting like such babies is helping them either.
B
For more details, check out http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/12/08/national/w074406S27.DTL&tsp=1 .
If they can get by the cloture vote, it should pass. BTW, apparently Obama has been /will be lobbying senators to get them to vote for it (something you don’t find on QUEERTY): http://www.gaypolitics.com/2010/10/15/obama-to-engage-senate-on-dadt-repeal/
Dan
Check out this clip. It’s amazing speech that point out clearly why GOP should be ashamed of themselves for wanting that tax break.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5OtB298fHY
AndrewW
@B: I’m curious. With Obama “lobbying” Senators, what is he offering them? Or is he using his magic-wand?
The President can’t influence a Senator on a vote based on “moral issues.”
As of this evening there were only 56 votes to proceed. It may come up again, but this charade is almost over.
B
No. 14 · AndrewW wrote, “@B: I’m curious. With Obama ‘lobbying’ Senators, what is he offering them? Or is he using his magic-wand?
The President can’t influence a Senator on a vote based on ‘moral issues.'”
LOL – if you think the Republicans are basing decisions on “moral issues”, I have a bridge that you might want to buy. They simply view the Religious Right the way Lenin viewed socialists – the term Lenin used was “useful idiots.” You throw them some bones to get their votes, and then spend the rest of the time trying to get legislation passed that will screw nearly all of them – anyone not in the wealthiest 0.01% of the population.
Hint: read http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/11/money-wins-white-house-and.html which points out that in 2008, “the average cost of winning a House race in 2008 was nearly $1.1 million, based on pre-election finance reports, and almost $6.5 million for a Senate seat.” You don’t get that kind of money from nickel and dime contributions from people making minimum wage. The people putting up the bucks (beyond a trivial amount) usually expect some return on their investment.
I’d imagine Obama is either talking to them about the merits of the issue or doing some “horse trading”, but you’d have to be privy to the discussion to know for sure. They are apparently targeting a few Republican senators. You might want to actually read the links I provided previously. E.g., http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/12/08/national/w074406S27.DTL&tsp=1 : “At least four Senate Republicans — Collins, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Scott Brown of Massachusetts and John Ensign of Nevada — have said they think the law should be overturned. Conservative Democrats who were initially reluctant on the matter, including Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, have also said they would vote to lift the ban now that a Pentagon study concluded it wouldn’t hurt military effectiveness.”
B
No. 14 · AndrewW wrote, “@B: I’m curious. With Obama ‘lobbying’ Senators, what is he offering them? Or is he using his magic-wand?
The President can’t influence a Senator on a vote based on ‘moral issues.'”
Ask Obama if you want to know whether he is horse trading or arguing for a repeal based on its merits. If you think senators are influenced by some sort of ‘moral issue’, I’ve got a bridge for sale real cheap that you might be interested in purchasing. The Republicans simply pander to the Religious Right to get their vote, but otherwise view them the way Vladimir Lenin viewed socialists – as “useful idiots.” You get their vote and then spend all your time screwing them by passing legislation that benefits the wealthiest 0.01% of the population at the expense of everyone else.
B
No. 14 · AndrewW wrote, “@B: I’m curious. With Obama ‘lobbying’ Senators, what is he offering them? Or is he using his magic-wand? The President can’t influence a Senator on a vote based on ‘moral issues.'”
Ask Obama if you want to know whether he is horse trading or arguing for a repeal based on its merits. If you think senators are influenced by some sort of ‘moral issue’, I’ve got a bridge for sale real cheap that you might be interested in purchasing. The Republicans simply pander to the Religious Right to get their vote, but otherwise view them the way Vladimir Lenin viewed socialists – as “useful idiots.” You get their vote and then spend all your time screwing them by passing legislation that benefits the wealthiest 0.01% of the population at the expense of everyone else.
B
In No. 14 · AndrewW wrote, “@B: I’m curious. With Obama ‘lobbying’ Senators, what is he offering them? Or is he using his magic-wand? The President can’t influence a Senator on a vote based on ‘moral issues.'”
Ask Obama if you want to know whether he is horse trading or arguing for a repeal based on its merits. If you think senators are influenced by some sort of ‘moral issue’, I’ve got a bridge for sale real cheap that you might be interested in purchasing. The Republicans simply pander to the Religious Right to get their vote, but otherwise view them the way Vladimir Lenin viewed socialists – as “useful idiots.” You get their vote and then spend all your time screwing them by passing legislation that benefits the wealthiest 0.01% of the population at the expense of everyone else.
John (CA)
It is not even close to being “over” yet.
The Republicans are calling Harry Reid’s bluff.
Murkowski and Ensign have announced they are joining the Collins’ little cabal. There’s now a bloc of five Republicans apparently willing to vote for cloture on DADT repeal. Lugar has not ruled anything out either and might become the group’s sixth member. That effectively means the Democrats will bear full responsibility for failure and can no longer blame it on a lack of GOP support.
Of course, all this support is conditioned upon their demands for a King’s ransom in tax cuts being met.
reason
@John (CA): Obama brokered the tax deal to provide a way forward, he has also spent a good portion of his time yesterday calling senators, especially ones that expressed support, to walk the walk. His organizing arm has asked people to call senators in Ohio, Maine, Alaska, Illinois, Mass and other on the fence area’s to cajole them into doing the right thing. It also looks like they will extend the lame duck session. If you really think that dems don’t want to get this done you are mistaken.
meego
Don’t any of you realize they’re just fucking with us? This whole thing is one big charade, one big joke. Repeal? Hmmm, right! They have no intention of repealing anything! “Well now, if give you this (repeal), you’ll have to give us this, this and this”. Puh-lease! It’s a farce!!
robert in nyc
So how are these tax cuts going to be paid for? The GOP and teabagger scumbags were screaming about government spending and trimming the deficit and now they want tax cuts? How many jobs did that create under Bush and where are those jobs today? Does the GOP and Obama really think the wealthiest 2% really care about the middle class? How will their huge tax cuts help the jobless? Why haven’t the republicans explained that? It didn’t work under Bush and its not going to work now. Forget about DADT being repealed. Even if Reid gets the votes to pass Obama’s cave-in, I doubt if the republicans will support repeal since the majority of them don’t want it to be overturned. Even if it weren’t for the economic meltdown, we still would not be ahead on this.
Bob
And how many of these illegals, that we will grant citizenship to will, fight for our rights? Think aboout it?
customartist
Senators Defy American People / Have Priorities Exactly Backwards!
Dear Senator ____________,
I am increasingly concerned that Senators are not paying attention to that which is truly the Will of the American People.
All polls show that Americans do not want Tax Cuts for Millionaires, and a majority of Americans do want DADT Repeal, and yet the Senate seems intent upon Defying Americans, going their own way on these issues, and in reverse order of priority.
“Make the Rich Richer instead of Making America Secure”?
Millionaire handouts are LAST on the priority list of any American, yet Senators deem this as #1 on their list of priorities. They are dead wrong, this is not fiscally responsible, and those voting in this manner, or holding out and letting the clock run out on DADT Repeal, will be voted out of office in the next election, I regretfully assure you.
Can highly elected Senators not do more than one thing at a time?! The Senate has had just as much “time” as has the House, which has Already Passed DADT Repeal.
Please consider your votes carefully. We will not forget!
Respectfully,
Email your Senators Daily until Repeal passes:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Call the Senate and Congress: (202)224-3121
*The Operator will direct you if you do not know your representative
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRRuk9Wb5EI&feature=player_embedded
the crustybastard
If the “legislative repeal” is enacted, we know exactly what we get: some new repackaged discrimination.
If it fails, the Eighth Circuit will review the LCR v US appeal in February or March. That court issued a stay based on the administration’s argument that “immediate harm” and “irreparable injury” to the military would ensue if they can’t keep kicking out teh gheys.
However, the “study” the administration commissioned has been released, concluding that no such harm or injury will be caused by open service. Thus, the administration’s own study proves its original legal case as well as its basis for the stay and appeal are completely false and baseless.
Judges don’t like being lied to.
The failure of the “legislative repeal” may well redound to our benefit because if the Eighth Circuit upholds the original decision, the discriminatory law is nullified (and not simply replaced with a new discriminatory law.)
John (CA)
@reason: I think my position is a little more nuanced than that.
Only a few Democratic senators care about this on an ideological level or are invested enough in it to perceive defeat as a personal humiliation. Others are generally supportive. However, they do have priorities of their own and are, therefore, far more strategic in their thinking. Still others see DADT as little more than a sideshow. These folks are only voting for it because of political pressure or dealmaking.
If you look at the DREAM Act, START (requires 67 votes), and DADT though, I believe DADT has the best chance of passing the Senate at the moment. Of course, all of this assumes that: (1) the House will cooperate and abide by the terms of any deal; and (2) Reid will keep the Senate in session for as long as it takes to complete the process.
B
No. 14 · AndrewW wrote, “@B: I’m curious. With Obama ‘lobbying’ Senators, what is he offering them? Or is he using his magic-wand? The President can’t influence a Senator on a vote based on ‘moral issues.'”
Really? If you think these senators are concerned with moral issues, I have a bridge I can sell you real cheap. Republicans pander to the Religious Right merely to get votes, but otherwise view the Religious Right as Lenin viewed socialists: Lenin called them “useful idiots.”
The press reports indicate that Obama is lobbying senators to get enough votes to override a filibuster. You’ll have to ask him personally if he is horse trading or arguing the issue on its merits.
B
No. 14 · AndrewW: Senators are not concerned with ‘moral issues’ but with politics. As to what Obama is saying to them, you’ll have to ask him personally.