Read some news. Collins and Lieberman are reintroducing a stand alone bill.
get real
The Senate this afternoon killed on a procedural motion, 57 to 40, a bill containing repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell ban on gays in the military. The vote is a blow to President Obama, who personally phoned Republican Senators urging repeal. The vote fell three short of the 60 needed to move ahead on the defense authorization bill, which contained the repeal, and may kill, possibly for years, legislative repeal of the 17-year-old ban. Efforts are underway to revive repeal as a stand-alone bill, but that faces even tougher odds, with just over a week left before this Congress adjourns. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and top Pentagon brass had all strenuously urged repeal during the lameduck session of Congress.
Senate majority leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called up the defense bill knowing it would fail. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine rushed to the Senate floor moments before the vote, accusing Reid of sabotaging their negotiations. "There was such a clear path for us to be able to get this bill done and I am perplexed and frustrated that this important bill is going to become a victim of politics," Collins said. "Sen. Lieberman and I have been bargaining in good faith with the majority leader." Collins said she thought she and Sen. Joe Lieberman,I-Conn.,who had been championing repeal, had an agreement to allow a debate with 10 GOP amendments and 5 Democratic amendments. Collins supports repeal, and supporters hoped that an agreement on the parameters of debate would brought (sic) along enough other Republicans to repeal the ban. Reid accused Republicans of moving the goal posts during negotiations.
The defense bill is probably dead for this session of Congress, the first time a defense bill has failed to move in 48 years.
Just after the vote, Collins and Lieberman said they would move to bring up repeal on its own and had Reid's support. But that too would be vulnerable to procedural roadblocks and is seen as a last-ditch effort.
Recently, Republicans had insisted that their deal with President Obama on tax cuts be resolved before proceeding to any other business, including the defense bill.
Repeal of Don't Ask had passed the House earlier this year, but Republican leaders who will assume control of the House in January have made clear they have no intention of bringing up repeal when they take control.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal implodes in Senate : SFGate: Politics Blog
truth is, this thing with competent management could have moved
truth is, and this is gonna hurt, anything leadership today pushes is pretty much dead simply because it's leadership that's pushing it
reid is as clumsy, maladroit as the president
you guys really needed to replace pelosi, big mistake
the bosses of the new gop have made it quite clear---we will allow literally nothing until you guys get your stuff together and fulfill your exigent responsibilities---the 2011 income tax
the mutiny this morning in the house by what almost by definition qualifies as an extremist progressivism prevents all that
and, unlike you guys, we actually know what we're doing and mean what we say
that means, dream, dadt, start...
we will give you nothing until the taxes are done
no matter how you react to our principled position, we will maintain our professionalism
unlike the george millers and anthony weiners who this morning cheerled outraged chants of "just say no!" and "no, we can't!"
your caucus was throwing chairs against walls, according to howard fineman on msnbc
biden was obscenely bitched out
halperin of time and msnbc wrote of the "democrat's nervous breakdown"
the 2011 tax is now...
well, it's OUR move now
the extension of unemployment benefits, too, maybe to include the 99er's or maybe not, which will CERTAINLY be paid for
first thing on boehner's blueprint
try to see what's clearly coming
then to the senate, with 6 more R's, where manchin, webb, lieberman, nelson, nelson, conrad, baucus and probably a few others are waiting
then to obama's desk
and fast
obama's already on record---"it's the right thing to do"
"for the middle class, for jobs, for the economy, for business"
now, on dadt obama can act unilaterally, but i personally cannot see him expending such capital for a constituency he frankly just doesn't care that much about
here's where some people go to start to get back their self respect:
Out-Serve, a network of active gay, lesbian and bisexual troops, issued a statement calling the defeat "heartbreaking and demoralizing" for troops who "who must continue to serve in silence and live a lie. No words can describe how it felt to watch our U.S. senators uphold discrimination and perpetuate the deceit and compromised integrity that consistently result under 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' We had more faith in our elected officials to heed the advice of military leadership and vote against prejudice. Instead, a minority of senators have successfully blockaded the entire defense spending bill on the basis of prejudice and politics. This was nothing short of turning their backs on the people that defend this country."
by the way, closing gitmo was dealt its "death blow" yesterday
House acts to block closing of Gitmo - Washington Times
sorry
