Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
Steve Benen at The Washington Monthly writes:
THE INEXPLICABLE FIGHT OVER DADT…. In theory, this should be one of the easiest political victories of the year for Democrats. The existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is a disaster, denying servicemen and women of basic decency while undermining military readiness.
The public wants it repealed. So does the Commander in Chief, the Secretary of Defense, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and two of his recent predecessors. A majority of the House already approved repeal, and a majority of the Senate supports the same move. And while we're at it, let's also not forget that a repeal provision is in a military funding bill that has to pass very soon.
And yet, the consensus seems to be that none of this will matter, and that Senate Republicans will manage to keep the ineffective status quo in place this year — and for the foreseeable future.
At issue is the defense authorization bill pending in the Senate, and whether the DADT provision should be stripped from the bill to get Republicans to lift their filibuster. Yesterday, the White House once again made clear that it "opposes any effort to strip 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' from the National Defense Authorization Act." Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who had said he'd respect the military's wishes on this, is now willing to kill funding for the troops unless the DADT measure is removed.
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[W]e effectively have a game of chicken. Dems are telling Republicans, "You need to let us vote or we can't fund the military." Republicans are telling Dems, "You better scrap the DADT provision, or we won't let you fund the military." McCain and other anti-gay senators are expecting Dems to blink first, since Democrats are the "responsible" ones who wouldn't screw over the troops.
With that in mind, sensible activists shouldn't just lean on Dems to do the right thing, they should also try to find a Republican vote or two to help make this effort successful.
One angry old homophobe who thinks he alone knows what is best for the U.S. Armed Forces is holding up what reasonable people know to be a denial of civil rights and equal protection of the law to men and women proudly serving their country in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Now that John McCain has been reelected in his last campaign – and he is not subject to recall as a U.S. Senator – he no longer has any reason to further pander and kowtow to the far-right of the Republican Party. He is free to get all "mavericky" again and maybe, just maybe, do what is right just once in his career.
McCain's wife Cindy and his daughter Meghan, if they really believe in equal civil rights for gays and want to walk the walk and not just talk the talk, should lead the protest against their husband and father. Bring family pressure to bear on this angry old homophobe. It is not enough to say you disagree with him and allow him to behave badly.
And the McMedia in this state needs to hold this angry old homophobe to account.
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Meghan McCain is a sheer delight to listen to! She is outspoken without being obnoxious and presents herself as self-confident and knowledgeable and willing to stand up for her beliefs. I have to think her mom did one hell of a job raising that daughter – I know how proud I would be if she were my daughter. What the McCain women have proven is that they have convictions and are not afraid to stand up and be counted!!! Good on them!!!!!
This Arizona Mom thanks you for calling out our senior homophobic Senator on this issue. At this point there is not a reason in the world for Senator McCain to be holding up the repeal of this odious law. He has sufficiently proved his far-right credentials and secured another 6 years as an Arizona Senator. To continue to hold up the repeal of DADT is nothing more than a huge slap in the face to every honorable gay and lesbian who is willingly risking their life to serve this country.
Does the Senator not realize that these service members are asking for nothing more than what Senator McCain himself was afforded when he served this country? By continuing to deny gays and lesbians respect, dignity, and the right to openly serve, a logical person can only reach one conclusion about Senator McCain. He really is an angry old homophobe who no more deserves the respect and dignity he is so cruelly denying others who are doing the same job he once did.