In a landmark for gay rights, the Senate on Saturday voted to let gays serve openly in the military, giving President Barack Obama the chance to fulfill a campaign promise and repeal the 17-year policy known as “don’t ask, don’t tell.”
Obama was expected to sign it next week, although the change wouldn’t take immediate effect…
A great day in American history, and as usual it was Democrats leading the way. Next stop: full equality – including marriage – for all our citizens under the law.
Not to be a party pooper, but as happy as I am about DADT repeal, I’m very unhappy – and angry – that Republicans overwhelmingly blocked the DREAM Act from becoming law. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, if Republicans are truly hell-bent on pushing a generation (or more) of Latino voters into the solid-Democratic-voter camp, that’s cool with me. Still, their vote today against the DREAM Act – and also, overwhelmingly, against ending DADT – was a disgrace, and should be remembered as such.
One more point I really need to make. President Obama has taken a LOT of crap from his “left” over his sincerity and commitment to repealing DADT. I always thought it was misplaced, given that the problem was always Republicans, and a few conservative Democrats, and NOT President Obama. Anyway, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to President Obama, as well as to Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and even Joe Lieberman (can’t believe I just wrote those words!), for pushing so hard on DADT repeal. Also, THANK YOU to Obama, Pelosi and Reid for their efforts on the DREAM Act. As for John McCain, well…GET OFF MY LAWN!!!!
UPDATE #1: Looks like a lot of progressives feel the same way as I do right now! 🙂
UPDATE #2: It can’t be emphasized enough how badly John McCain – the 2008 Republican nominee for president – disgraced himself today. From the happy “maverick” of 2000, he has morphed into an angry, bitter, nasty old man. Compare and contrast to another conservative Republican Senator from Arizona, Barry Goldwater, whose views went in the opposite direction as he got older. Of course, McCain’s got about half the IQ of Goldwater, and the Republican Party has lurched far FAR to the right since Goldwater’s days, so maybe that helps explain it.
UPDATE #3: I’ve already stated this, but thanks again to Jim Webb and Mark Warner for voting the right way on both the DREAM Act and DADT repeal. I’ve had my “issues” with both of these guys, but I’m proud of my two U.S. Senators today, and also feeling REALLY good about “drafting” James Webb back in 2006! 🙂
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