The "DADT repeal is dead" stories are bullshit. Here's why.

[TheWraith]

I was just reading a thread with an article from The Guardian talking about how with the McConnell letter means that DADT repeal is dead. Now, it's true they may be able to fuck us over on a lot of the lame duck agenda. That was kind of expected, actually--we had too much to do even just on the stuff that needed doing to accomplish it all, let alone all the symbolic votes that we're going to lose.

However, the DADT story is bullshit, and here's why.

One: DADT repeal is attached to the Defense Authorization bill for 2011. It is literally something that MUST PASS, or else the United States Armed Forces kind of run out of money to pay the troops, buy the bullets, and fuel the airplanes. We are, in fact, already two months into the fiscal year which the Defense Authorization bill is supposed to pay for. It started October 1st. If this isn't passed by the end of this Congress, then it has to go completely through the system again, delaying needed money for likely many more months.

To give you an idea how important this money is, the gay servicemember organization "Knights Out," of which Dan Choi is a founding member and spokesperson, publicly called on Obama to sign the bill even if the DADT provision got stripped out, on the grounds that delaying the funding could endanger armed forces personnel. It's that serious.

What this amounts to is a game of chicken in the Senate: will the Republicans be able to stare down either Harry Reid or Carl Levin in order to get them to drop DADT, or will a couple of the "moderate" Republicans break from the pack and pass the bill as is?

Which brings me to point two: Susan Collins' spokesperson has already come out and said that she might vote for the DADT repeal, despite McConnell's bluff--and that's what it is, since he obviously can't actually deliver all 42 Republicans in lockstep.

Right now, if people want to do something productive to help out, the very best thing is to start calling Reid and Levin, as well as Snowe and Collins. Here's free advice: when you call Snowe and Collins, keep it simple and tell them not to vote against funding for our troops in the field.

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Staring down Reid? Not a chance.

The bill will be signed this year.

[VMI Dem]

2. I'd like to see the powerful guy in the White House do what he didn't do last time.

Apply pressure.

Wishful thinking.

[TheWraith]

4. Obama no longer gets a vote in the US Senate.

Do you really think that any of the Republicans are going to vote for it to do Obama a favor?

[VMI Dem]

5. Oh yeah...he bows to their pressure.

:rofl:

[TheWraith]

8. You really didn't read a single word I wrote, did you?

Thanks for your threadcrapping efforts.

[VMI Dem]

9. I fully expect you will not revisit this after the lame duck session is up.

Thanks for trying to put a good face on this for gays.

:hi:

[TheWraith]

11. There are only three possible outcomes on this.

1. Reid or Levin caves.

2. Some Republicans cave.

3. The bill stalls, potentially endangering funding for the US military.

I doubt anyone wants #3 to happen.

[Exilednight]

3. How do you spell compromise and capitulate to Republicans on repeal of DADT?

O-B-A-M-A

[Clio the Leo]

6. What's BS is McConnell's letter.

It's posturing.

[The Doctor.]

7. Hehehe.... if your OP is getting unrecs by the second,

You know you've hit some nerves.

K+R

[AlinPA]

10. McConnell can't deliver all republicans in lockstep? They are totally locked in now. Collins

and Snowe will follow McCain in lockstep.

[COLGATE4]

13. Yep. Collins too, just like always.

[jenmito]

12. You are correct! n/t

[mitchtv]

14. we'll see now, won't we?

we've had nothing but lies so far