Posted on 12/16/2010 8:34:49 AM PST by SeekAndFind
ABC News reports that Scott Brown has announced that he will support a stand-alone repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” ending the expulsion of gay and lesbian troops from the military. Brown’s decision gives Harry Reid 61 votes, enough to pass a cloture vote for the policy, and one final hurrah for the Democratic-controlled 111th Session — if he can fit it into the schedule:
Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown today voiced his support for a stand-alone repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, bringing the bill one vote over the 60-vote threshold that it will need to reach if and when the Senate votes on the measure in the coming weeks.
“Sen. Brown accepts the Pentagon’s recommendation to repeal the policy after proper preparations have been completed. If and when a clean repeal bill comes up for a vote, he will support it,” said Brown spokesperson Gail Gitcho.
Brown’s backing means that – on paper – supporters of the repeal have61 senators in favor of the bill. On Wednesday Republicans Olympia Snowe of Maine and Lisa Murkowski both announced their support for the stand-alone repeal. The House passed the clean repeal on Wednesday and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has vowed to bring it to a vote in the Senate before the end of the year.
However, Reid has warned that bringing the bill to a vote in the Senate is not an issue of support, but rather of time. With just over a week before Christmas, the Senate is only now kicking off debate on the START nuclear treaty and a massive $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill. It will likely be early next week before the Senate wraps up work on those two measures – and numerous GOP senators have voiced stern opposition to both bills, preferring instead to fund the government into early next year and go home for the holidays. That leaves little time for the Senate to pass the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal.
Brown voted against the military appropriations bill that contained a DADT repeal last week, objecting to a jam-down of a massive spending bill without sufficient debate or amendment opportunities. Two other Republicans that support a repeal, Olympia Snowe and Lisa Murkowski, voted no on the same grounds. A stand-alone bill will avoid those issues and allow the three to switch votes and support repeal, a position publicly held or at least considered by all three prior to the lame-duck session.
The Senate has already passed the tax deal, which was the line drawn in the sand by the GOP at the start of the post-midterm session. Brown can therefore vote for cloture on this measure without violating the earlier pledge, even if Congress hasn’t addressed the budget with a shutdown date rapidly approaching. The GOP wants a continuing resolution anyway rather than an omnibus spending bill completing the FY2011 budget.
Reid, though, has already started debate on START, and still has to handle the budget this week as well. He’s trying to double-track the two efforts, but Jim DeMint has threatened to obstruct if Reid tries a jam-down on START. If DADT doesn’t come up in this session, it will have to be passed again in a Republican House after January, and that may be a problem with the GOP holding a 48-seat majority in the lower chamber. Still, the threat of court action that would immediately impose a repeal rather than an orderly transition may move John Boehner to allow a vote without whipping the caucus early in the next session.
My son and his comrades proudly serve our nation. Despite the efforts of Congress, they will not allow the efforts of the gay lobby to affect the capability of our Marines to win wars. These men are very creative and have ways of dealing with deviant behavior. You can take that to the bank.
Gets it “right some of the time”?
I am not sure whether to laugh my ass off or cry....here’s a thought though: stop making excuses for RINOs, you think? =.=
Okay, how can anyone be surprised. This man was NEVER a conservative, but he was about the best you were going to get in MA.
Okay, how can anyone be surprised. This man was NEVER a conservative, but he was about the best you were going to get in MA.
Have these people considered what might happen to our defense posture if a bunch of people leave the military after DADT is repealed?
Obviously not.
Right through the holidays and up to 1/20/11 if need be!
Ah, but they probably HAVE.
They’d love the effectiveness of the US Military to drop to nothing.
They’d also love to reinstitute the draft.
Sodomites do not go into combat units. They’re likely to be POGs with a cushy desk job or they’ll go into the Navy or the AF. Infantry Marines will effectively address the situation in informal ways if any sodomite gets into an infantry unit. They will be given the most disgusting details. They will be put in the most dangerous situations. Gays will avoid the Corps like the plague.
And now, thanks to Mr. Brown, the troops are going to be shafted...in some cases, literally.
My contempt meter is pegged out at ‘maximum’.
It is our Congress that dishonors our service. I say that as a veteran and my hubby is still active duty.
Brown seems to swing both ways.
I feel a draft....
Alaska and Maine, the new Gay States
You know what I really fear about this? You just KNOW that someday some sodomite soldier is going to force themselves on a fellow soldier who wants nothing to do with it...in other words, rape. Maybe even gang rape. The unit commanders will tell the victims to “keep it quiet” because of the stink any kind of punishment might generate. You just know gay-sympathetic lawyers will come flying out of nowhere to defend the gay rapist soldiers.
The victims will be, for lack of a better word, screwed.
And the rapists will know they can get away with it because if anyone even TRIES to prosecute, they’ll scream “Discrimination!!” and the unit commanders will have their hands tied because of the PC-crowd at the top.
I have counseled my nephew who is currently in to get out of the Army at his earliest convenience. It’s no longer an institution I can recommend to anyone.
Disgusting...the entire lot.
He’s a one-termer.<<< He’s a half a termer Maybe Howie Carr should kiss Scott one last time!! Bye bye Scottie
...If Brown thinks this will save him from an all-out challenge from the Massachusett’s democrats, he’s delusional...
Unfortunately, Brown has cemented a strong lead with Mass independents and Republicans-—a recent poll shows him with 61% favorability.
Brown has been successful in following the polls and adjusting his views accordingly to get re-elected in 2012. Dims have no chance to defeat him.
Now he doesn’t have tea party support on 1 or 2 votes, but he doesn’t care.
My father was a Marine, 8 of my uncles were in the Navy, Marines and one rogue Chair Force jockey, and my MOS was 0311..... my son will go to college on an academic/athletic scholarship forgoing the NROTC or the USNA. We talked a long while and he will NEVER join the armed forces. It's a joke what has happened except for the USMC and special forces. PC butt-sniffers are licking their way to the top while good men are dying in some sh#t hole for what? Honor, glory, the safety of our country.... heck we don't even patrol our own borders and allow those that spew hatred in the name of allah (piss be unto him) to recruit in colleges and among tax payer funded mosques.
scr#w that. My son, stays in this country. My son defends his house, family and Texas. I could give a d#mn to what happens to the rest of the country. I'm done with that.
The best thing that could happen to us would be if the USA kicked Texas out and we became our own Republic. Kick every parasite to the enlightened land of the democrat parasites colonies in the northeast and Mexafornia.
This creep’s career needs to end in the next election cycle, even if it means Democrats take back the seat.
What can Brown do to you?
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.