Posted on 12/02/2010 12:26:49 AM PST by Red Steel
If the Senate takes up the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" in this lame duck session, there's a chance that some senators in both parties will cross the aisle. Here's the math:
To pass the defense authorization bill, of which repeal is a provision, Democrats need 60 votes to override the filibuster, or at least two crossovers from the GOP to add to their 58-seat majority. Right now, at least five Republican senators are believed to be seriously considering voting for repeal: Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, John Ensign of Nevada, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Richard Lugar of Indiana. If two or more of these senators commit to voting for the bill and repeal, the Democrats have their supermajority.
Except that some Democrats may vote against repeal. Jim Webb of Virginia, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor of Arkansas could all vote with Republicans on this issue. The question is which combination of these swing votes ultimately materializes.
Outside their respective policy luncheons today at the Capitol, senators from both parties spoke to THE WEEKLY STANDARD about the vote to repeal.
Lugar, who is up for reelection in 2012 and already facing the threat of a primary challenge, said both the Pentagon's report on DADT, released today, and the upcoming hearings (scheduled for Friday, Lugar said) on that report will influence his decision to vote. Does Lugar have an idea of how he's inclined to vote on repeal?
Oops, the rest of the article.
“I’m not inclined to indicate that,” Lugar said. “But I’m thinking about it very seriously.” Lugar, however, has expressed his support for moving the debate on the bill forward, the Washington Post reported.
Collins who has also said she will support moving the bill forward, expanded on her support for repeal. “I’ve supported the language in the committee,” Collins said. “And I’ve said repeatedly that it depends on whether Senator Reid allows an open process to allow amendments.”
Murkowski missed the earlier vote on repeal in September and has said she is opposed to moving the bill forward without an open amendments process, but she has not commented on whether she would vote for or against repeal on the merits of the policy. Murkowski said today she hasn’t yet seen the Pentagon’s report and does not know how she would vote on the defense bill. “Waiting to see [the report],” Murkowski said.
Among the Democrats, Pryor acknowledged he needed to look at the Pentagon’s report and refusing to say how he would vote. “I need to read the report and I need to see how the hearings go and just get a feel for where we are,” he said. “I do think that it’s important to let the Pentagon go through their process. I don’t know if this report is the end of their process or just a step in the process, I don’t even know that.”
“I am just waiting to hear [about the report],” Manchin said. Manchin said that he wants to hear what the commanders on the front lines of combat have to say about repealing DADT before he decides. Webb declined to speak to THE WEEKLY STANDARD.
Missouri senator Claire McCaskill, who supports repeal, said she “[hasn’t] had a chance to look at” the report yet.
“I have to read the report before I know how it will influence my vote,” McCaskill said. “But as I’ve said before, gays have been serving in the military for decades. We have the strongest and best military in the world. I think it’s time that all members of our military...can serve with integrity.”
What about concerns, like those from General James Amos, that openly gay soldiers serving in combat units could hurt unit cohesion? “They’re in combat units now, they’re in close quarters now,” McCaskill said, without addressing the concerns specifically about openly gay soldiers in those units.
What about Ben Nelson of Nebraska? He is in serious trouble in a red state for his vote for health care, could he be another vote against?
I hope Blanche Lincoln decides to vote for the men and women in our military instead of the deviates. She is a lame duck. Maybe she learned something. The “Entitlement” bunch couldn’t keep her in office this time. It will be a good day for this Country when she leaves office.
We have the best military in the world, let’s break it!
That’s the so called logic coming from the perverts.
Someone needs to figure out and post the COST of constructing separate quarters and latrines/showers for the straights and gays......everyplace where our Military resides. Otherwise I suspect that straight Military men will request showering and bunking with the women. Why not?
How about the cost of law suits from families of dead queers?
That is one of my concerns too. Coed barracks are common, coed rooms aren’t. Another concern is with some of the activist gays – will they be swishing around, acting like the archetypical flaming fag – just waiting to be harassed so they can bring charges?
Both Senator Bennett, and Udall of Colorado have without REASON committed to their Presidents campaign promise to
repeal DADT and allow homosexuals serve openly. I have reminded both of what the Pentagon survey actually said.
The TIME Swampland blog for Sunday,Nov.28 had quotes from Claire McCaskill, of Miss.On Fox presenting an UNREASONABLE argument I’ve heard before “Gay members of the Military have
served for decades,and there hasn’t been a problem...”If there is NO problem— If they have served for decades with no problem—then there is NO Reason to change the law prohibiting homosexuals serving. I see no reason the law needs to be changed-by the arguments of their own people.
I pray the Patriots in Missouri will request McCaskill read the Pentagon report and note that(Q.81) 24% of those who responded said they would NOT re-enlist-or consider not re-enlisting. And only 6% would positively recommend the Military if the law is changed(Q.80) 85% of combat Marines and 75% of US Army Combat Arms -64% of the overall respondents to
the survey (Q.68c)oppose a change in policy.I wish those who
will decide this will consider the impact of their evil desire to use our military like lab rats in their social experiment.
Frag the Fag, anyone?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.