WHY was DADT necessary Tommy? On Dec 22, 11:07 am, Tommy News <[email protected]> wrote: > Greg- > > DADT was a compromise brokered by Republican Colin Powell, who > convinced President Clinton it was the best way forward. Obviously, > the misguided policy failed, ruining thousands of lives and careers, > and it has now been repealed. > Puting the blame on Democrats does not pass muster. Your twisted > pretzel glue logic will not work. > > On 12/22/10, GregfromBoston <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > How bout the OVERWHELMING number of democrats who made DADT necessary > > in the first place? Whole bunch still there. > > > Ya really wanna play the, its a republican thing, card mate? Cuz the > > hundreds, just became dems. > > > On Dec 22, 10:51 am, Tommy News <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Sure, why not. Also vote out all the Republicans in the house who > >> voted against repeal. Hundreds of them. > > >> On 12/22/10, GregfromBoston <[email protected]> wrote: > > >> > Does the same go for the 26 Democratic members of the House that > >> > voted > >> > against DADT [repeal]?? > >> > -------------------------------- > > >> > Uh oh! > > >> > Tom? > > >> > On Dec 22, 10:27 am, Mark <[email protected]> wrote: > >> >> Does the same go for the 26 Democratic members of the House that voted > >> >> against DADT?? > > >> >> On Wed, Dec 22, 2010 at 9:19 AM, Tommy News <[email protected]> > >> >> wrote: > >> >> > I disagree. > > >> >> > 31 Republican Senators voted against stand alone DADT repeal. They > >> >> > have now blatantly exposed their stand alone homophobia. John McCain, > >> >> > who attempted to filibuster DADT repeal, is the worst of the lot. We > >> >> > must now vote all 31 of them out of office. > > >> >> > On 12/18/10, dick thompson <[email protected]> wrote: > >> >> > > Like we told you a long time ago. Bring it up by itself and it > >> >> > > will > >> >> > > pass. Instead you kept trying to blame the votes against the > >> >> > > Omnibus > >> >> > > earmark bill on the DADT alone. Someday you might learn something > >> >> > > but > >> >> > > I kinda doubt it. Now maybe you will accept that some of the > >> >> > > votes > >> >> > > against the Omnibus krep bill were against something other than > >> >> > > DADT. > >> >> > > Although I doubt that too. You are far too wedded to blaming > >> >> > > anything > >> >> > > that goes against what you want as being homophobic alone. > >> >> > > Obviously > >> >> > > that is not so. > > >> >> > > On 12/18/2010 09:43 PM, Tommy News wrote: > >> >> > >> Victory! Senate Repeals ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’, Despite 31 > >> >> > >> Republican > >> >> > >> No Votes and John McCain's Fillibuster Attempt. This is a long > >> >> > >> overdue > >> >> > >> victory for Civil Rights equality. Repeal of DOMA and Passige of > >> >> > >> ENDA > >> >> > >> and UAFA, and introduction of The American Equality Bill for Civil > >> >> > >> Rights are next. > > >> >> > >> Senate Repeals ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ > > >> >> > >> Drew Angerer/The New York Times > >> >> > >> Senator Joseph I. Lieberman gave the thumbs up as Majority Leader > >> >> > >> Harry Reid spoke at a press conference after the “don’t ask, don’t > >> >> > >> tell” vote. > > >> >> > >> By CARL HULSE > >> >> > >> nk WASHINGTON — The Senate on Saturday voted to strike down the > >> >> > >> ban > >> >> > >> on > >> >> > >> gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military, bringing to a > >> >> > >> close a 17-year struggle over a policy that forced thousands of > >> >> > >> Americans from the ranks and caused others to keep secret their > >> >> > >> sexual > >> >> > >> orientation. > > >> >> > >> Clockwise from left, Senators Mark Udall, Joseph I. Lieberman, > >> >> > >> Susan > >> >> > >> Collins and Kirsten Gillibrand after a news conference on the > >> >> > >> repeal > >> >> > >> of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” > > >> >> > >> By a vote of 65 to 31, with eight Republicans joining Democrats, > >> >> > >> the > >> >> > >> Senate approved and sent to President Obama a repeal of the > >> >> > >> Clinton-era law, known as “don’t ask, don’t tell,” a policy > >> >> > >> critics > >> >> > >> said amounted to government-sanctioned discrimination that treated > >> >> > >> gay, lesbian and bisexual troops as second-class citizens. > > >> >> > >> Mr. Obama hailed the action, which fulfills his pledge to reverse > >> >> > >> the > >> >> > >> ban, and said it was “time to close this chapter in our history.” > > >> >> > >> “As commander in chief, I am also absolutely convinced that making > >> >> > >> this change will only underscore the professionalism of our troops > >> >> > >> as > >> >> > >> the best-led and best-trained fighting force the world has ever > >> >> > >> known,” he said in a statement after the Senate, on a preliminary > >> >> > >> 63-to-33 vote, beat back Republican efforts to block final action > >> >> > >> on > >> >> > >> the repeal bill. > > >> >> > >> The vote marked a historic moment that some equated with the end > >> >> > >> of > >> >> > >> racial segregation in the military. > > >> >> > >> It followed an exhaustive Pentagon review that determined the > >> >> > >> policy > >> >> > >> could be changed with only isolated disruptions to unit cohesion > >> >> > >> and > >> >> > >> retention, though members of combat units and the Marine Corps > >> >> > >> expressed greater reservations about the shift. Congressional > >> >> > >> action > >> >> > >> was backed by Pentagon officials as a better alternative to a > >> >> > >> court-ordered end. > > >> >> > >> Supporters of the repeal said it was long past time to abolish > >> >> > >> what > >> >> > >> they saw as an ill-advised practice that cost valuable personnel > >> >> > >> and > >> >> > >> forced troops to lie to serve their country. > > >> >> > >> “We righted a wrong,” said Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, the > >> >> > >> independent from Connecticut and a leader of the effort to end the > >> >> > >> ban. “Today we’ve done justice.” > > >> >> > >> Before voting on the repeal, the Senate blocked a bill that would > >> >> > >> have > >> >> > >> created a path to citizenship for certain illegal immigrants who > >> >> > >> came > >> >> > >> to the United States at a young age, completed two years of > >> >> > >> college > >> >> > >> or > >> >> > >> military service and met other requirements including passing a > >> >> > >> criminal background check. > > >> >> > >> The 55-to-41 vote in favor of the citizenship bill was five votes > >> >> > >> short of the number needed to clear the way for final passage of > >> >> > >> what > >> >> > >> is known as the Dream Act. > > >> >> > >> The outcome effectively kills it for this year, and its fate > >> >> > >> beyond > >> >> > >> that is uncertain since Republicans who will assume control of the > >> >> > >> House in January oppose the measure and are unlikely to bring it > >> >> > >> to a > >> >> > >> vote. > > >> >> > >> The Senate then moved on to the military legislation, engaging in > >> >> > >> an > >> >> > >> emotional back and forth over the merits of the measure as > >> >> > >> advocates > >> >> > >> for repeal watched from galleries crowded with people interested > >> >> > >> in > >> >> > >> the fate of both the military and immigration measures. > > >> >> > >> “I don’t care who you love,” Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of > >> >> > >> Oregon, > >> >> > >> said as the debate opened. “If you love this country enough to > >> >> > >> risk > >> >> > >> your life for it, you shouldn’t have to hide who you are.” > > >> >> > >> Mr. Wyden showed up for the Senate vote despite saying earlier > >> >> > >> that > >> >> > >> he > >> >> > >> would be unable to do so because he would be undergoing final > >> >> > >> tests > >> >> > >> before his scheduled surgery for prostate cancer on Monday. > > >> >> > >> The vote came in the final days of the 111th Congress as Democrats > >> >> > >> sought to force through a final few priorities before they turn > >> >> > >> over > >> >> > >> control of the House of Representatives to the Republicans in > >> >> > >> January > >> >> > >> and see their clout in the Senate diminished. > > >> >> > >> It represented a significant victory for the White House, > >> >> > >> Congressional advocates of lifting the ban and activists who have > >> >> > >> pushed for years to end the Pentagon policy created in 1993 under > >> >> > >> the > >> >> > >> Clinton administration as a compromise effort to end the practice > >> >> > >> of > >> >> > >> barring gay men and lesbians entirely from military service. > > >> >> > >> Saying it represented an emotional moment for members of the gay > >> >> > >> community nationwide, advocates who supported repeal of “don’t > >> >> > >> ask, > >> >> > >> don’t tell” exchanged hugs outside the Senate chamber after the > >> >> > >> vote. > > >> >> > >> “Today’s vote means gay and lesbian service members posted all > >> >> > >> around > >> >> > >> the world can stand taller knowing that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ > >> >> > >> will > >> >> > >> soon be coming to an end,” said Aubrey Sarvis, an Army veteran and > >> >> > >> executive director for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. > > >> >> > >> Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona and his party’s > >> >> > >> presidential candidate in 2008, led the opposition to the repeal > >> >> > >> and > >> >> > >> said the vote was a sad day in history. > > >> >> > >> “I hope that when we pass this legislation that we will understand > >> >> > >> that we are doing great damage,” Mr. McCain said. “And we could > >> >> > >> possibly and probably, as the commandant of the Marine Corps said, > >> >> > >> and > >> >> > >> as I have been told by literally thousands of members of the > >> >> > >> military, > >> >> > >> harm the battle effectiveness vital to the survival of our young > >> >> > >> men > >> >> > >> and women in the military.” > > >> >> > >> He and others opposed to lifting the ban said the change could > >> >> > >> harm > >> >> > >> the unit cohesion that is essential to effective military > >> >> > >> operations, > >> >> > >> particularly in combat, and deter some Americans from enlisting or > >> >> > >> pursuing a career in the military. They noted that despite support > >> >> > >> for > >> >> > >> repealing the ban from Defense > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text -
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