The move by Senate Republicans on Tuesday to block even debate on 2011 defense authorization bill that included language to repeal the discriminatory and unconstitutional Clinton-era “Don’t ask, don’t tell” law blows up another rightwing wing talking point.
Just like the attempt to put teabagger candidates on the ballot blew up teabagger’s lie about it being a nonpartisan movement, the move to block DADT blows away the myth that health insurance reform should not have been passed because of the false claim that the country did not support it. Despite three-quarters of Americans, 75 percent, saying that they support openly gay people serving in the U.S. military, Republicans blocked the bill even coming to the Senate floor for a debate.
In a 56-43 vote, every single Senate Republican present and two conservative Democrats voted to block debate on the bill, falling short of the 60 votes they needed to proceed to take up the bill for just debate. Understand, this was just to debate the bill, not vote on it.
Even top military Generals and Admirals support repelling DADT. According to the Hill, “the Pentagon is in the midst of conducting a review on the implementation of repeal and is surveying members of the armed forces on the issue” that year long study is due in December, and the repel could not even occur until after the report. I don’t understand why we need a study. Just take a look at our allies, like Australia, Great Britain and Norway.
When President Harry S. Truman integrated the Armed Forces and issued a then-controversial executive order that called for "equality of treatment for all persons in the armed services, without regard to race, color, religion or national origin” he didn’t need a study.
It’s not often, if ever, debate is blocked on funding the troops. Our Senator, Sen. Carl Levin, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said it is the Republicans playing politics with a bill that is designed to provide benefits for members of the military and their families, to build weapons systems, and to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, he told the AP.
"They should fight against it if they don't like it," Levin said of the Republicans who stopped the legislation. "It would be unthinkable if we didn't have a Defense Authorization bill. It's never happened."
This also comes on the heels earlier this month when a federal judge in California declared the ban on gays serving openly in the military unconstitutional, so that erased any doubt that the ban is discriminatory.
According the AP, “An estimated 13,000 people have been discharged under the law since its inception in 1993. Although most dismissals have resulted from gay service members outing themselves, gay rights' groups say it has been used by vindictive co-workers to drum out troops who never made their sexuality an issue.” That is the real threat to national security.
Anyone who has spent more than a couple of months in the military has known someone who is gay. The American people have been pretty clear on this, and so have real conservatives, like the late Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater when he said "You don't need to be straight to fight and die for your country. You just need to shoot straight."
DADT should be killed today.
4 comments:
Let's see, a Defense bill that was shot down because of what's in the bill that doesn't have to do with Defense and you're upset it was shot down based on Don't ask don't tell.
Yet you failed to even mention once that it also included making illegal aliens, legal.
You're also playing word games with the health care. Yes, the majority of Americans do want health care reform. But, a majority of Americans are AGAINST the health care reform package that was passed. I wonder why John Dingell, the so-called "father of health care" doesn't even mention the health care reform bill that was passed.
More dishonesty from the looney left.
First, anonymous coward, the authorization bill wasn’t “shot down;” it wasn’t even brought up. However, I, like 75 percent to of the American people, are upset because getting rid of the discriminatory DADT was blocked. As for the DREAM act, I don’t have enough info to really comment, but I can certainly see the merits of rewarding someone for serving in the military. If you don’t t like those amendments, vote to strip them out.
I’m not playing any word games, anonymous coward. What I am doing is pointing out the constant hypocrisy of Republicans. They claim the President should not have fulfilled his campaign promise because of the false claim that Americans are against health care insurance reform, but even when Republicans know getting rid of DADT has huge support, they still block it.
I don’t believe “a majority of Americans are against the health care reform package that was passed.” Even if that were true, what is they wanted? Republicans had no real ideas. Republicans tried to block such small advances in the current bill, I just wonder what would they have done to stop the better version, like a public option or universal health care?
John Dingell is not the so-called "father of health care" he is the father of health care. “He doesn't even mention the health care reform bill that was passed?” That’s news to me because it’s right on the campaign lit, and on his web site it says,
“The Congressman believes health insurance is a right for all Americans, and for this reason Congressman Dingell has introduced health care reform legislation in every Congress since he was elected in 1955. As the author of the Patients’ Bill of Rights…”
It seems like he mentioned it. The only dishonesty, as usual, is from you.
Speaking of dishonesty, once again, anonymous coward, I’m still waiting for you to back up your outrageous lie that we were “nearly shoulder to shoulder once.”
Most Americans and military people are against DADT. It is not worthy of debate. The snake harry reid also tried to sneak in amnesty and that has nothing to do with defense spending bill and doesn't belong in it. Most Americans are against it. If you want to be rewarded for serving in our military become a citizen and then properly enlist.
Most Americans are for health care reform. Most Americans are against what was passed as health care reform. It only passed by 3 votes. even many demoRATS were against it but 3 extra votes were bought off through lies, deciet, scams, bribes and back room deals.
Sorry, you are 100 percent wrong, and you are in the minority. The simple fact is 75 percent of Americans support getting rid of it. Like I said before, I don’t know much about the DREAM Act, but I kind of like the idea of rewarding military service. Like I said before, then vote to strip it out of the bill. You do understand that there are non-U.S. citizens serving in the military?
You are again wrong about health care reform, and , by the way, it’s Democrats. However, you are correct that not many were happy with the historic health insurance reform, they wanted more, like a public option and universal health care. But the Republicans are saying no to everything to make sure the country and the President fail.
There were no lies, deceit, scams or bribes, and there is noting wrong with, “back room deals” because any deal has to be approved by a majority vote, and with the case of Republicans a super majority.
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