As Popeye used to say, “I’m disgustipated.” Yesterday, U.S. Senate Republicans flexed their, ahem, majority of 40 votes (+ 3 Dems) to block a military spending bill that would have repealed the armed forces’ ridiculous, harmful Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy. There’s a lot to be said about the successful GOP filibuster, but few have offered better commentary than veteran progressive journalist David Corn who, in a column titled “Is Lady Gaga a Better Politician Than Barack Obama?” makes a strong case that a lot of the blame for the DADT repeal failure falls on the administration’s half-assed efforts on its behalf.
In my mind, two other things also stand out in yesterday’s Senate vote. One, the fact that Republicans were actually willing to stop appropriations for the military altogether in order to guarantee that gays and lesbians keep getting crapped on by the government they’re fighting for. Two, those Republicans are confident that Democrats don’t have the competence or balls to make the argument I just made in the previous sentence — even though large percentages of Americans (including majorities of conservatives, for crying out loud) support repeal of DADT. The real problem is that, in the case of the Dems’ incompetence and spinelessness, the Republicans are essentially correct.
As a final wrap-up of yesterday’s vote, take a look at this video of Sen. Al Franken (sorry, but it still feels weird to write that) arguing for repeal, and choking up during a story about doing a USO show in Iraq, in which soldiers came up to him later to talk about being gay in the armed forces.
This article appears in Sep 21-27, 2010.
As long as the Democrats continue to bicker, infight, and bribe each other with pork, the Republicans, who vote with a single voice, will continue to control the government.
Since the Republicans obviously plan to campaign on the fact that the Democrats have not accomplished anything, it is in their best interest to block every piece of legislation that is introduced by a Democrat.
That is just what they are doing, and almost no one in the main stream media has the courage to comment on it.
I will never understand libs: they want the government to control every aspect of the American people’s lives except where they don’t want the government to control every aspect of the American people’s lives. Libs want the government to run health insurance, Medicare, welfare, social security, education, etc. but when it comes to gays, look out! They should be allowed to marry! They should be allowed to serve openly in the military! They should have access to the same benefits at work! I love my gays just as much as Kathy Griffin loves hers and I’m thankful they serve in the military. But it’s a lot easier to just say ‘no’ to any and all government intervention.