In a landmark vote for gay rights, the Senate on Saturday voted to advance legislation that would overturn the military ban on openly gay troops known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."The 63-33 test vote all but guarantees the legislation will pass the Senate, possibly by day's end, and reach the president's desk before the new year.
The House had passed an identical version of the bill, 250-174, earlier this week.
npr
The House had passed an identical version of the bill, 250-174, earlier this week.
npr
I wonder if the teabaggers, when they "take over," are going to try to undo this. No reason they should, and in fact, this is ironically a very conservative position, as is supporting gay marriage. I mean really, why should gays get out of the draft (if we had a draft) or avoid the marriage penalty (whatever that is exactly).
"As Barry Goldwater said, 'You don't have to be straight to shoot straight,"' said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., referring to the late GOP senator from Arizona.
It will take a few months for this to take effect.
McCain has threatened that payment will be exacted.He blamed elite liberals with no military experience for pushing their social agenda on troops during wartime.
"They will do what is asked of them," McCain said of service members. "But don't think there won't be a great cost."
"They will do what is asked of them," McCain said of service members. "But don't think there won't be a great cost."
And now, I think, it is time for James Amos to retire.
Amos has said he thinks lifting the ban during wartime could cost lives.
"I don't want to lose any Marines to the distraction," he told reporters this week. "I don't want to have any Marines that I'm visiting at Bethesda (Naval Medical Center) with no legs be the result of any type of distraction."
Ninety-two percent of troops do not think there is a "distraction" and the joint chiefs agree. Comandant G. Amos is out of line.
See also: Ending Military's Gay Ban Lets Obama Fulfill Another Clinton Promise
And for everybody who blathered angerly about the Justice Department (thus Obama's Administration) going to bat in favor of the DADT law, I refer you to Barney Frank.
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