Don't Cave on DADT

[ProSense]

DON'T CAVE ON DADT....

President Obama said last week he'd like to see the Senate take up repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" during its lame-duck session, which begins next week. Over the weekend, Defense Secretary Robert Gates also urged lawmakers to act quickly on the issue, though he seemed pessimistic about its chances.

That seems to be emerging as something of a consensus. The Wall Street Journal reported today:

Sens. Carl Levin of Michigan and John McCain of Arizona, the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, are in talks on stripping the proposed repeal and other controversial provisions from a broader defense bill, leaving the repeal with no legislative vehicle to carry it. With a repeal attached, and amid Republican complaints over the terms of the debate, the defense bill had failed to win the 60 votes needed to overcome a procedural hurdle in the Senate in September.

Now, the article was noticeably short on quotes, the WSJ isn't always the most reliable of outlets, especially when it comes to Democratic intentions.

But at this point, I can only hope Dems know better that to let this opportunity slip away. Adam Serwer noted, "Look, if Democrats can't repeal a policy more than two thirds of the American people, including a majority of conservatives want gone then they can't expect people to vote for them.... Truman ended segregation in the military because it was the right thing to do, despite the fact that it was unpopular. Ending DADT happens to be both popular and the right thing to do, and Democrats today still can't get it done."

I'm probably less inclined than Adam to blame Democrats, since it's not entirely up to them. When this last came up in the Senate before adjournment, literally every Democrats was on the right side of the issue, and literally every Republican was on the wrong side. "Getting it done" in the face of unyielding GOP obstructionism is arguably harder than it sounds.

That said, the larger point about urging Dems not to cave on this issue is entirely right. It's not as if Levin can strike a deal with McCain to bring the issue back up next year -- either it gets done in the lame-duck, or we'll have to wait years before even trying to get this through Congress again.

If lawmakers are inclined to wait until after Dec. 1, when a Pentagon study is due on servicemembers' attitudes, fine. At that point, a majority of the troops, a majority of American civilians, a majority of the House, a majority of the Senate, the Commander in Chief, the Secretary of Defense, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and two of his recent predecessors will all be saying the exact same thing: it's time to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

<...>

Senator Levin's office should be flooded with calls. Leave it in the bill and let Republicans vote.

[Freddie Stubbs]

1. It's not going to pass until there are 60 votes for it in the Senate

There wasn't 60 votes a few weeks age, and there won't be until after the 2012 elections at the earliest.

[ProSense]

2. There are 59 votes in the Senate,

Actually 58 if Kirk is seated. The vote was 56 to 43 with Lincoln and Pryor voting against it because they think DADT should a be separate bill. Reid voted no in order to bring it up again.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. 59 is not enough

It is not going to pass during Obama 1st term.

[ProSense]

7. Right, 59 is not

enough to pass the defense bill, which is why it shouldn't be separated. Let Republicans hold up the defense bill, see if most Democrats care.

[TheWraith]

15. That depends on whether Snowe and Collins jump on board.

Collins at least is on the record supporting repeal.

[Freddie Stubbs]

17. She probably won't if she wants to get reelected

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Peacetrain]

6. Good Post Pro Sense..

[SidDithers]

8. K&R...nt

Sid

[jenmito]

9. Obama said he'd be active in talking to Senators to get it repealed in the lame duck session. n/t

[jenmito]

10. Levin better not cave. There WILL be 60 votes once the "study" comes back Dec. 1st.

And Obama said he'll be active in GETTING the votes if there aren't.

[jenmito]

11. I just called Levin's office at 202-224-6221 AND sent him a message here:

http://levin.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

[Bluenorthwest]

12. Levin is not to be trusted on this

He has been whining for months that there is no way it could be stripped from the bill, when questioned he reacts as if the asker is insane to consider such a thing.
He's there at times, not at times, he makes the well vetted votes, but when not rehearsed his own personal prejudices are quite obvious. I'd not let him collect my mail while I went on vacation.

[jenmito]

13. Did you call his office to tell him not to take the provision out? n/t

[Proud Liberal Dem]

14. Paging Log Cabin REPUBLICANS!!!

Join with President Obama and the current Democratic Majority in the US Senate in the spirit of post-2010 midterm election "bipartisanship" and give your fellow Republicans (especially John McCain) a big kick in the butt and make them at least allow an up-or-down vote on the defense bill WITH DADT Repeal in it. It shouldn't be considered such a controversial matter that it needs to be stripped from the bill, particularly now since the long-awaited study is likely to reveal that most service members don't care about don't ask, don't tell anyway.

and it will help cut spending by saving tons of $$$$ for the Log Cabin Republicans AND the federal government on current and future legal bills as well.

[nofurylike]

16. K&R! thank you, ProSense!! please contact Levin, folks! contact

info in this thread makes it very easy - thanks everyone for that!
it is extremely important!


peace and solidarity, always!

[ruggerson]

18. I could be wrong

but I still think we will get cloture. Collins now has no reason to vote against it. And the "report" is done, so Snowe may even hop aboard.

I've never seen an issue that has 80% popular support have so much trouble making it through Congress. BIgotry, unfortunately, is a powerful, unrelenting force.