Reply #7: Yes, they are looking to "limit the damage" through DADT repeal,

[kenny blankenship]

which they were forced to carry out by 2 external events. 1) Federal court system was rapidly bringing DADT's lifespan to a close anyway, and court action on DADT would impose equality on the politicians in all kinds of ways they don't want. Your post brings up a prime example. Oh the drama if we were to really win our Constitutional RIGHTS, as opposed to getting a limited grant of Congressional permission. 2) Democrats just lost control of the Congress after their first failed vote on DADT. They were now facing permanent loss of the glbtq constituency -all our money and votes- so their hands were forced in the lame duck session to revisit DADT and make good on a promise they'd put off for years. They scrambled and made whatever deals they had to to get a cloture vote.