BREAKING: Loss for DADT repeal as Senate fails to end filibuster of Defense bill

12/9/2010 4:06pm by 3,958

The Senate just failed to end the filibuster of the Defense Authorization bill. The vote was 57 – 40.

Great, we got Susan Collins. She’s the only GOPer on our side, but didn’t bring anyone with her. Thanks for nothing.

Also, thanks for nothing Scott Brown, Richard Lugar, Olympia Snowe and Lisa Murkowski. You voted for Senate process over equality — again. Here’s a concept: You can’t say you support ending DADT if you won’t vote for the legislation that could do it. Manchin voted with the Republicans.

But, this is also a failure of Democratic leadership on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue. There is plenty of blame to go around. Let’s start with Barack Obama. The President’s cracker jack team of political experts put together this DADT repeal strategy. It’s been a mess from the beginning. The White House never fought hard enough and waited way too long.

This is not the end. We know there are Senators who are still trying to fix this. But, we’re running out of time.

And, we’ll win in the courts if not in the Senate.

I’ve had the song, Uprising, by the Muse in my head all day:

They will not force us.They will stop degrading us. They will not control us. We will be victorious.


On October 27, 2010, Joe was one of five bloggers who interviewed President Obama. Joe is a DC-based political consultant with over twenty-five years of experience at both the state and federal level. Joe has managed political operations and legislative efforts for both candidates and issues-based organizations. For seven years, he was the Director of State Legislation at Handgun Control, Inc. He served as that organization's first Political Director during the 2000 cycle. Joe is a graduate of the University of Maine School of Law. In addition, he has a Masters in Public Administration from Lehigh University and received his B.A. from the University of New Hampshire. Joe also has a fun dog, Petey, a worthy successor to Boomer, who got Joe through eight years of Bush and Cheney. Joe likes to think he is a world class athlete having finished the 2005 Chicago Marathon in the time of 4:10. He has completed six other marathons as well -- and is still determined to break the four hour mark.

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