Is anyone else watching the DADT hearings on C-Span 3?

[jenmito]

The Repubs. like McCain, Sessions, and others are flailing around, "respectfully disagreeing" with Gates, Mullen, and others. They're suggesting that the only reason Gates, Mullen, and others are there was because of a "campaign promise by then-Senator Obama." Their bigotry and homophobia is so obvious, their resistance to change and progress so clear, that I ALMOST feel sorry for them (I really don't at all).

They know times are changing, that DADT WILL be repealed, and that GLBT people WILL be able to serve without having to hide/lie about who they are. And they can't stand it. I LOVE watching their desperate attempts to keep the repeal in place. It won't work.

It was also VERY nice and surprising to see Lieberman, Bayh, and Ben Nelson strongly DEFENDING the repeal, especially right in front of John McCain.

[monmouth]

1. It's sad in this day and age this discussion even has to take place..n/t

[jenmito]

2. Yes, but I'm glad it IS taking place so DADT can be finished. But seeing these old white men

trying to cling on to the "good ol' days" is hilarious in a sad way.

[Clio the Leo]

3. It's WONDERFUL that it's taking place.

We're on the verge of undoing a wrong.

[jenmito]

4. We're watching history. Historic CHANGE. n/t

[Clio the Leo]

11. One of the reporters jokes on Twitter...

.... that Congress has now said "gay" more times today than they have in the previous 200 years.

[jenmito]

13. Which reporter was it? n/t

[jenmito]

5. McCain is getting all worked up about why the military wouldn't be asked whether or not

they WANT DADT repealed, rather than being asked how they'll feel WHEN it's repealed. Because in McCain's warped mind, he feels it should've been asked, and it would be discovered that the vast majority wouldn't WANT it to be repealed, since "DADT is working." I guess he wasn't listening when the testimony about how many military members were against integration of the military, yet it was done anyway, and done in a time of war-successfully. McCain is a disgrace.

[young but wise]

6. McCain is a evil bastard.

[jenmito]

7. He sure is. And he's a grumpy old man who still can't believe he lost to Obama. He's bitter. n/t

[Clio the Leo]

8. Brown saying he will always remember a soldier who'd lost most of his limbs...

.... doing crunches.

*I* recall seeing a vet who'd lost all of his limbs being questioned about his patriotism by Saxby Chambliss. Wonder if Brown remembers THAT?

[jenmito]

12. Yup-and he ALSO said he wished the question was asked whether troops thought

DADT should be repealed. But I think he may support repeal.

[Clio the Leo]

9. Lieberman said President cant legally suspend DADT...

.... because, unlike with Truman, there's an existing law forbidding him from donig so.

First I'd heard of that.


ETA: I actually HAVE heard it, just didn't catch it...

“Point number two,” continued the president, “the difference between my position right now and Harry Truman’s was that Congress explicitly passed a law that took away the power of the executive branch to end this policy unilaterally. So this is not a situation in which, with a stroke of a pen, I can simply end the policy.

http://www.keennewsservice.com/2010/10/18/obama-on-dadt-repeal-promise-or-prediction/

[young but wise]

10. I remember President Obama saying that.

[jenmito]

14. So do I. n/t

[VMI Dem]

15. I remember when it got suspended and he appealed it.

Because if he didn't appeal it he would have gone to jail.

[Clio the Leo]

16. Yeah, that's what we want to do....

.... establish a precedent where the executive branch refuses to appeal a judgement against existing law.

Sometime the laws are bad .... like this one. But what about if President Rubio wanted to refuse to appeal a judge who ordered that the prohibition of insurance companies from denying coverage because of illness was unconstitutional. Then what?

Congress created this problem, they have the ability to fix it and I believe they will.

[jenmito]

18. You are right...

Congress has to repeal DADT and they WILL, despite the bigots like McCain and Sessions.

[dgibby]

17. I can't watch anything with McCain. I get physically ill. n/t

[jenmito]

19. I like to watch him when he knows he's gonna lose to Obama AGAIN. n/t