Congressional calendar endangers repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell'

[alp227]

Source: The Washington Post

This was supposed to be the year that the law banning gays from serving openly in the military would be repealed. President Obama and the top Pentagon brass made clear their distaste for "don't ask, don't tell." Polling suggests the nation has moved past it. The Democrats who control Congress, as well as some Republicans, are ready to overturn it. And last week a final potential obstacle was removed when an exhaustive Pentagon study found little risk in undoing the law.

Yet with the lame-duck session of Congress hurtling toward a chaotic close, the effort to repeal the policy is in peril. A divided Senate panel heard stern testimony Friday from the Marine Corps commandant and the Army chief of staff, who warned against incorporating openly gay troops into combat units now serving in Afghanistan.

But the biggest barrier is the calendar. Although a repeal bill passed the House in May, and there appear to be enough votes for it in the Senate, there are only two weeks left in the lame-duck session. Other priorities, such as negotiating a compromise on extending Bush-era tax cuts, have consumed congressional leaders.

Repeal advocates are growing convinced that time may be running out. "The rules of the Senate can capture you when you end up in the 12th hour," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/04/AR2010120403270_pf.html

[COLGATE4]

1. Once again Obama squandered momentum and let the clock

run out on him. "Oh well, too bad. We tried. Maybe next year..."

[lunatica]

2. If this doesn't get done this year it will be another nail in the coffin for me

DADT has to go. Period. There is no fucking reason for it to continue. There was no fucking reason for it exist in the first place.

[totodeinhere]

3. If it is not repealed during this session, it might be years before we get a chance to do it again.

Once the GOP takes control of the House next month, the repeal of DADT will be dead.

[No Elephants]

4. Not long after Obama's election, Barney Frank said, "We'll probably take

up DADT after midterms." So, this was no accident or surprise.

We've held Congress since 2006. Why was so much left until after 2008 mid=terms, including extension of middle class tax cuts? Everyone knew all along that odds are overwhelming that the Party in the Oval Office loses mid-terms and short time between mid-terms and Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas and New Year always flies.

[hughee99]

5. Harry Reid vows votes on DADT, DREAM.

He talked about doing it during the lame duck when fighting for his reelection, but rather than just dumping it, he promised again in mid-November after the midterms.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20017167-503544.html
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45322.html

Now it's pretty clear we're not going to get a vote on it at all. I wonder if Reid realizes that THIS is the sort of shit that causes him to have problems come election time.