The Democrats' very, very fearful and haplessly unskillful leader in the Senate, Harry Reid, is saying that there are no sponsors for a bill to repeal DADT, even though a 69% of Americans oppose it. I guess he decided that a game of Hot Potato was appropriate on this:
"'I haven't identified any sponsors,' he said. 'My hope is that it can be done administratively.' A Democratic aide later clarified that Reid was speaking about the possibility of using an executive order to suspend discharges or perhaps halting enforcement of the policy by changing departmental regulations within the Department of Defense. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has continually said in recent months that President Barack Obama believes the only 'durable solution' to repealing the military's gay ban would be to do so through legislative action."
It's a popular bill that has 144 co-sponsors in the House. Couldn't they have found two Senators from the midwest to sponsor it?
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10 Comments
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Yes, they could have found two senators from the Midwest to co-sponsor this. We talked with several of them during SLDN's "Lobby Congress" day in March. More than a couple were even - horror of horrors - Republicans~! And they were "for" repealing DADT. I kid you not.
Does the mere fact that the Democratic (non)leadership in the Senate tick me off? You betcha, as this should be - in the immortal words of a Republican in the GWB administration - a "slam dunk."
Nixon went to China, for C's sake~! Meanwhile, Bill Clinton signed both DADT and DOMA.
I guess it's going to take a Republican to step up to the plate for gay rights. H&ll, even Dick Cheney and Ted Olsen are speaking out for gay rights. That's more than a few LGBTQ appointees and a presidential proclamation from the O-administration.
As Homer Simpson would say - D'oh~!
The Democrats in power now are not getting any more of my "dough" until I see some concrete action. Which I haven't seen any of yet.
John Shields | June 16, 2009 1:49 PM
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I'm by no means a loyal Democrat, but Dick Cheney didn't support same-sex marriage, Ted Olson's being paid to "advocate" for us, and I doubt any Republican in the party's current shape will do much to push this through. It's not like any of them were doing that when they controlled the Congress a while back.
Alex Blaze | June 16, 2009 2:28 PM
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I didn't say anything about same-sex marriage. I said "gay rights." And Ted Olson's a lawyer, of course he's getting paid.
You know that joke about 100 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean, right?...
John Shields | June 16, 2009 2:48 PM
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Harry Reid couldn't lead a high school football team to a whorehouse. He, and the rest of the Democratic Senate so-called leaders, should be replaced.
Polar | June 16, 2009 2:14 PM
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Part of the problem is probably that Reid doesn't come from a liberal state, so he can't rock the boat too much. His numbers aren't that good for reelection either, but if the Republicans were smart they'd let him win just so that junk like this keeps on happening.
Alex Blaze | June 16, 2009 2:30 PM
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That's BS -- the legislature just overrode the Governor's veto of a gay DP bill, Nevada is not some conservative backwater, it is primarily Las Vegas where just about anything goes. Harry Reid could do a lot more on gay issues and still not be ahead of his state.
Bob Roehr | June 17, 2009 7:39 PM
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The strategy of begging for crumbs from bigots like Obama (Congress has to do it) or Reid and Pelosi (make the President do it) is a loser’s strategy. It flows from the loser strategy of voting for the lesser bigot.
We should support the call for a national march on DC and raise the demand that DADT and DOMA be repealed and that an inclusive ENDA and tough hate crimes and hate speech bill be passed.
Democrats and Obots won’t like that but it's a winning, as apposed to a losing strategy.
Bill Perdue | June 16, 2009 3:37 PM
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"No sponsors for DADT repeal in Senate"
I assume Sen. Reid can sponsor it.
Kathy Padilla | June 16, 2009 3:44 PM
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I gleaned this off of govtrack.us.......
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-1283
...On March 3, 2009, Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) introduced legislation to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and ensure that all qualified Americans can serve openly in the military regardless of sexual orientation.
.... On January 12, 2009, members of Repeal DADT briefed the Obama transition team about the necessity to repeal this legislation. Click here to read details.
....The Military Readiness Enhancement Act (HR 1246), calling for repeal of DADT and replacing it with a policy of non-discrimination, currently has 148 co-sponsors.
....Tauscher was a primary co-sponsor with Rep. Rush Holt(D) New Jersey. He is now the primary sponsor and the bill currently has over 140 co-sponsors.
Gerri Ladene | June 16, 2009 5:53 PM
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Opps, that was from when it was in the House...
Gerri Ladene | June 16, 2009 7:46 PM
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