Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyDecember 18th, 2010
Screen capture via Towleroad.
Moments ago, the U.S. Senate approved a cloture motion to proceed with the vote on H.R.2965, the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act of 2010. The vote to proceed was 63 to33. The six Republicans voting “yes” were Sens. Scott Brown (MA), Susan Collins (ME), Mark Kirk (IL), Lisa Murkowski, (R-AK), Olympia Snowe (ME), and George Voinovich (OH). No Democrats voted against the motion, although Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) did take the cowardly way out by abstaining. He had voted against the motion to proceed with the Defense Authorization Bill last week over the provision repealing DADT. Others abstaining include Sens. Jim Bunning (R-KY), Judd Gregg (R-NH), and Orin Hatch (R-UT).
The final vote on the bill is expected to occur at about 3:00 EST.
Senator McCain reacts: “There will be high-fives in the liberal bastions across America.”
President Barack Obama is warming up his victory speech. Here is a statement from the White House:
Today, the Senate has taken an historic step toward ending a policy that undermines our national security while violating the very ideals that our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives to defend. By ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay. And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love.
As Commander-in-Chief, I am also absolutely convinced that making this change will only underscore the professionalism of our troops as the best led and best trained fighting force the world has ever known. And I join the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as well as the overwhelming majority of service members asked by the Pentagon, in knowing that we can responsibly transition to a new policy while ensuring our military strength and readiness.
I want to thank Majority Leader Reid, Senators Lieberman and Collins and the countless others who have worked so hard to get this done. It is time to close this chapter in our history. It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed. It is time to allow gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country openly. I urge the Senate to send this bill to my desk so that I can sign it into law.
Peter “Porno Pete” LaBarbera, that famous defender of strict Judaic orthodoxy, is livid that Sen. Joe Lieberman voted on the Sabbath.
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Richard Rush
December 18th, 2010
Am I missing something? I thought the purpose of a cloture vote was to end debate.
Jim Burroway
December 18th, 2010
You are right. I originally understood this to be the vote to begin date, not end it. The post is corrected.
John
December 18th, 2010
Thanks be to God.
I just had to click through and read Porno Pete’s comments. After this vote, his wailing is like music to my ears. We are closer now to the day when he will be forced to get a real job. Ditto for Tony Perkins. As for Elaine Donnelly, sorry ma’am but your one trick pony is now obsolete. Have fun on the unemployment line!
Mihangel apYrs
December 18th, 2010
It still amazes me how intricately religion is woven into the United States. We look to Iran etc and shake our heads at the theocrcies there; when we look to the States we see the shadow hand of superstition active everywhere.
In western Europe religion is a matter between individuals (including politicians) and their gods, in the US it seems to be a rule that god is forever in the mix
Rob in San Diego
December 18th, 2010
What the hell is John McCain talking about. My partner was a marine in the 1st Gulf War. Served his entire tour and was never discharged. Stayed in the closet the whole time.
TampaZeke
December 18th, 2010
I wonder if McCain considers HIS living room a “liberal bastion”?
I’m sure Cindy and Meghan are high fiving there even as we speak, even though Cindy “supports her husband’s postition”; yeah right!
Kate
December 18th, 2010
I just hope Obama doesn’t talk like HE did anything to get this done…he can certainly celebrate today’s vote, but if he claims any measure of actual responsibility, I will call bullshit.
justsearching
December 19th, 2010
McCain said “You are acting in direct repudiation of the American people.” So the 2 in 10 Americans who don’t support repealing DADT are the only true Americans? The other 8 out of 10 are, what, illegal immigrants? This old man needs to go home.
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