Sen. Webb says he'll vote NO on DADT repeal

[rhombus]

Webb's statement:

"Secretary of Defense Gates and Admiral Mullen have laid out a specific and responsible plan to examine the current 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy in a manner that includes a comprehensive survey of those wearing the uniform. The White House and Secretary Gates both said today that, ideally, the Defense Department should complete this review before legislative action is taken. There is no question that a review of the policy is necessary and important. I see no reason for the political process to pre-empt it."

Webb disappoints. Sheesh.

http://www.openleft.com/diary/18853/jim-webb-announces-opposition-to-dadt-deal


PS. What Webb fails to understand is after the 2010 elections, Democrats will have less of a majority in the senate and the House to move major bills. The time for action is this year.

[VMI Dem]

1. Webb is a Progressive!

[Divine Discontent]

3. replace 'progressive' with 'political coward'.

[NorthCarolina]

18. Not hardly

DLC | New Dem Of The Week | May 7, 2008
Jim Webb
U.S. Senator, Virginia

http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=103&subid=110&contentid=254630

[VMI Dem]

22. Its a reference to a goofy OP.

[Lilyeye]

72. Yeah...how about that.

There was a poster here months ago that said Webb should have been elected because he wasn't a coward like our President. I wonder where that poster is now......

[Divine Discontent]

2. homophobic jerk. if he wasn't, then he'd understand that Gays are already serving honorably.

[joeybee12]

4. Phuck him...

I am so sick ofm this wimpy shit from guys like him. Phuck him and all the democrats who have no balls.

[Thrill]

5. Not a surprise. There are several Democrats who are bigots

.

[tekisui]

6. Dammit. And, I used to like Webb.

[racaulk]

7. I want him to say it to this Marine's face:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=221x160309

:grr:

[ShortnFiery]

8. I thought Webb would not do this ...

I am getting the impression that both of my Virginia Senators (Webb and Warner) are Blue Dogs. :(

[ProSense]

16. You thought they were progressives?

Liberals?

And you think Obama is DLC?

Oh my.

[jenmito]

27. That sure explains a lot!

:rofl:

[karynnj]

47. Oh my, is right

Let's see - Obama, our most liberal President in 40 years and Kerry, the 6th most liberal Senator are too conservative for her, but she previously thought Webb - about the 6th most conservative Democrat is a Progressive.

[Tarheel_Dem]

68. ROTFLMAO! I agree with jemito. That explains a helluva lot. (nt)

:spray:

[karynnj]

45. Seeing that he:

1) Came close to swiftboating our nominee in 2004 (though Kerry forgave him and endorsed him in the primary and raised his GOTV money for the primary - I never will trust him. Especially as from the Rolling Stone article his problem was a disagreement on whether the war could have been won.
2) had said some pretty unsupportive things about women in the military
3) has voted wrong on many issues - especially on the environment
4) He STILL thinks we could have won and repeated the same ridiculous poll to insist the Vietnam War was popular in the early 1970s

Why are you surprised??

He was a Reagan Republican Secretary of the Navy.

[butterfly77]

46. He is he used to be a Repug..

evidently he still is, he goes against just about everything Dems want..

[JI7]

65. you thought they were liberal ?

[dionysus]

78. are you serious? really? and you call obama and kerry conservatives?

this really DOES explain a lot... CRUISIEL MISSLES!11!!!

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[politicasista]

79. LOL!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[DevonRex]

82. Are you getting the impression that somebody just invented the automobile?

:rofl:

[Thrill]

9. Where are the votes? Even if you get Collins, Snowe, and Hatch

I bet Lincoln, Landrieu, Pryor, and Nelson vote no

[ShortnFiery]

11. I've always considered Webb more liberal than Warner, I bet Warner votes "no" also.

:(

[Mass]

13. Depends on what. Webb is conservative on social issues. I am not sure where Warner is,

but he could be more progressive.

[saracat]

25. Mark Warner is pro choice and he may be progressive on gay rights

[karynnj]

50. Warner is considerably younger, which on this matters

[Pirate Smile]

14. On Hardball they just said we need one more vote in the Senate - mentioned the Nelsons & Brown

(although Brown said no already).

Brown needs to have his phones swamped.

[Arkana]

38. Bill Nelson might, Ben will most definitely not.

[Cha]

81. He does now!!

"Sen. Ben Nelson Announces Support For DADT Repeal Compromise"

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/05/26/nelson-dadt-gates/

[karynnj]

51. Kerry needs to do another bike ride with Brown

He might be able to convince him, because he actually was on active duty for over three years and his 1993 comments rally were exceptional for 1993.

[Mass]

56. Wont happen. For Brown, this is the perfect bill to show that he is a RWer.

without being accused to be against the middle class. This guy is a phony, get used to it.

[karynnj]

57. won't it hurt in Ma?

I know he is a very empty suited phony. That is obvious every time he speaks.

[VMI Dem]

10. Lost my vote, jackass.

[Phx_Dem]

12. Figures. Intolerance rules. n/t

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

15. Of course he will. This is the same guy who opposed women in the military

at some point in his life, and may in fact still does. He probably feels the same way about blacks serving. Wouldn't surprise me at all. Don't understand why these damned Dixiecrats don't just become Republicans and get it over with.

[ShortnFiery]

35. Webb might have declared himself a moderate republican in the 1970s?

That's how far corporate right our party has become. The GOP are just outright shameless corporatists, no questions asked. There are a few democrats who have a spark of "the peoples' welfare" on their minds, but not many ... and not Webb. :(

[jgraz]

17. Buh bye, Jimmeh.

I don't support bigots.

[VMI Dem]

24. He's not a bigot. He probably doesn't mean it. He's just saying it to get elected.

He's a Progressive!

[Autumn]

41. I get it

:rofl: :rofl: Very nice

[HughMoran]

19. whatanasshole!

:eyes:

[saracat]

20. But But everyone said it was wrong to oppose him, and he would

vote with us when it counted. Really? Where are the Blue Dogs when we need their vote? Anyone?

[karynnj]

52. In 2006, it was essential - it gave us the majority

That was important, even though we were stopped from doing much good - because at least they weren't passing more things making it worse. In addition, we controlled what came up in summer 2008. This kept Obama from having a lot of no win votes or having to deal with the nonsense Kerry did - where he would fly to DC for an important vote ... to find it was re-sceduled.

He was our 5ist vote.

[saracat]

61. Baloney. Sorry. We got to set the agenda and did squat with it.

I will never ever again vote for candidates who do not support civil rights. . This is a crock.When it comes to a crunch, they do not support us but vote with the GOP. Just like Stupak. that vote hurt us more than it ever benefited us. It revolts me that the Democratic Party actually supported such a man.

[karynnj]

63. You know I dislike him, but there was a huge difference

having the majority. The difference was that we were losing fighting for things we wanted versus losing on bills that were rolling back every thing people had fought for,

[OHdem10]

21. Webb has very conservative constituents who supported him.

Are we all not aware that many Senators (Ds) can be over
a barrel on Cultural Issues.

[NorthCarolina]

29. I grow weary of the "conservative constituents" argument. Over 70% of Americans

back this change...his district would likely be no different than the rest of America. I suppose you also believe the false meme of America as a center-right nation too.

[Hippo_Tron]

39. The President (who campaigned on DADT repeal) also won his state

I don't buy the conservative constituents argument unless it's in a district or state that Democrats haven't won on the presidential level in recent years.

[ruggerson]

44. It's an issue of right and wrong. He's wrong.

[David Zephyr]

23. This just one of the reasons I liked Obama's nod to Congress to move forward.

It makes Democrats show their true colors.

Webb is shit now in my eyes.

[Divine Discontent]

28. so how many fake-Democrats are there in the senate??? just wonderin', seems like an easy 5

[David Zephyr]

40. Republican Susan Collins of Maine has now said she will vote to end DADT.

How sad that we have Democrats who are running away from what they know is correct for their own ambitions.

[Divine Discontent]

71. thanks for the update David... was hoping someone would stand up... Thanks to Susan & shame on webb.

[xchrom]

26. Shrug - same shit different day.

Voting for him would be a mistake.

But I can hear the chorus now.

[IndianaGreen]

34. I am disappointed in Webb

particularly since the latest polls show that 80% of the public supports repeal of DADT.

[Prism]

30. I think we should give Webb whatever he wants, so he'll vote for it

This can be up to and including a small puppy processing factory that makes delicious puppy nuggets for his home district.

What?

If we can do it for other conservadems on other legislation, why not here? :shrug:

[Radical Activist]

31. You link says Webb is undediced and doesn't have that quote.

What gives?

[rhombus]

32. I've updated to a new link with Webb's statement

Webb is a NO. Sad.

[Radical Activist]

33. Thanks.

Although it doesn't sound to me like Webb has made a final decision about repeal, as the post claims.

[donco6]

36. I thought the point of compromise was We get something; You get something.

So what the FUCKING FUCK did we get? I smell a SET UP here! I think this "compromise" was a LIE.

[Arkana]

37. Then Webb's a coward.

Now is our chance--NOW. We have to do it NOW.

[ShortnFiery]

42. We need progressive leaders with moral courage..

As long as the right wing corporatists control ALL THREE BRANCHES of our government, we will not see any truly progressive/fair legislation passed in favor of the average American. :(

We have to build a true progressive coalition. That's our only choice.

[Hippo_Tron]

43. I predict this will end with a Stupak style compromise

The President will sign an executive order saying that the policy won't be changed until the Pentagon completes its study and Jim Webb will be standing behind the President while he signs it.

[Unvanguard]

49. I believe that's already in the legislation.

At the very least, it requires the approval of Gates.

[Hippo_Tron]

59. Yea but the President as commander-in-chief can say the study is done whenver he wants to

Webb will force a commitment out of him that he won't do it before December (which he was already not going to do anyway) and score political points and everybody will go home happy.

[Unvanguard]

48. Fuck him. Hopefully Snowe and Collins, and maybe Brown, will make the difference. n/t

[Bluebear]

54. Brown already announced NO

[Unvanguard]

58. Yeah, I saw that.

I think there's at least one other Republican vote they're relying on, though--not sure who.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

69. I think Collins said yes.

[freddie mertz]

53. A profile in cowardice. And bigotry.

Hope he gets primaried.

[zulchzulu]

55. How many godfrickindamn studies do we need, Webb?

You're taking the easy way out on this, Webb... and you know it.

[MadMaddie]

60. Another dissapointment

Webb should know better I believed he would make a difference and he has proven that he is just another selfish jackass.

[CreekDog]

62. Indefensible to have the civil rights of one group voted on by (ostensibly) another

indefensible.

i thought the flag he fought for represented something better.

[Freddie Stubbs]

75. No vote = status quo

[Freddie Stubbs]

64. I'm sure that Senator is Webb fully understands that. He also understands that he is

up for reelection in 2012.

[JI7]

66. why are people surprised by this ?

[vaberella]

67. I dunno.

I think they easily forgot his other positions---which were not 100% liberal Dem.

[JI7]

70. most of his positions weren't liberal

but i remember those who attacked Kerry and now Obama saying how they need to learn from Jim Webb.

and i remember all those Webb for President talk from them.

hahha, i'm just thinking of how many of them attacked Martha Coakley as dlc and supported Webb. these people claim to represent the left. hahahhaha

[Jennicut]

74. He was a former Republican, wasn't he? I think it was his stance

on Iraq that won over the progressives. He has always been moderate to conservative Dem to me.
Sad when a moderate Repub from Maine is more progressive on this issue then a Dem. Sad but not surprising.

[DevonRex]

83. Not surprised but it still pisses me off. nt

[FrenchieCat]

73. Obama's fault!

[racaulk]

77. How so?

[flpoljunkie]

76. This is why you need to vote for the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' Senator Webb.

House Republicans are preparing to mount a vigorous defense of the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy President Bill Clinton implemented in 1993.

GOP lawmakers in the lower chamber are poised to vote en masse against the defense authorization bill if it includes an amendment to repeal the law barring gays and lesbians from serving openly in the U.S. military.

Over the objections of some Republicans, Clinton issued his “Don’t ask, don’t tell” directive nearly 17 years ago. Since then, many Republicans have warmed to it — especially now that liberals want to eradicate it.

A senior Republican aide on Tuesday said Rep. Buck McKeon (Calif.), the ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, has told his members he will vote against the underlying defense measure if Democrats attach Rep. Patrick Murphy’s (D-Pa.) “Don’t ask, don’t tell” amendment.

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/99887-gop-to-defend-clinton-policy-on-dont-ask

[Orsino]

80. Webb already *has* his civil rights, thank you very much.

Fuck everyone else.

Or fuck some very particular someone elses, anyway.

[pundaint]

84. Object lesson: There are at least 3 good reasons to fire any sitting Congressman, and none of them

offer 2 good reasons to keep them.

dadt, hairpiece, patriot act - your results may vary. Check it out for yourself, pick a member of Congress, try to find more than 2 times this term when he did something beyond "the least that can be expected" for People. Now see if you can find 3 times when he took action favorable to corporations at the expense of People. It's time the People started saying NO to bad government.