Last-ditch McConnell 'don't ask' amendment blocked

Last-ditch McConnell 'don't ask' amendment blocked
Source: Politico A last-ditch effort by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to complicate the Repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was blocked Tuesday night after Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) objected, Senate aides said. McConnell attempted to add an amendment to the so-called stripped-down defense authorization bill that would have required the consent of the Military service chiefs to proceed with "don't ask" repeal. Under Legislation passed by the Senate last week, certific...

Obama Signs Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Into Law
Amid applause, cries of thanks and chants of "Yes we can!," President Obama on Wednesday repealed the U.S. Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which had banned gay service members from serving openly in the armed services. Proclaiming that the policy "will strengthen our National Security," the president vowed that "no longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie. Or look over their shoulders in order to serve the country they love." Paraphrasing Joint Chi...

Watch DADT Repeal Sigining Live @ 9:15
Scheduled to begin at 9:15 a.m. at the Department of Interior, the White House invited Bloggers and Activists to attend the historic signing. Last night Mitch McConnell tried a last minute amendment to block the Repeal. Lieberman stopped it: McConnell attempted to add an amendment to the so-called stripped-down defense authorization bill that would have required the consent of the Military service chiefs to proceed with “don’t ask” Repeal. Under Legislation passed by the Senat...

McConnell Tries And Fails To Undermine Dont Ask, Dont Tell Repeal In Last Minute Amendment Effort
McConnell Tries And Fails To Undermine Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal In Last Minute Amendment Effort Yesterday, in a last minute effort to derail the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) tried to attach an amendment to the stripped-down National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would have required the Service Chiefs to certify that implementation did not Compromise Military readiness or unit cohesion. The amendment would ha...

And That Is Finally Over
Good to have this finally behind us: The Military’s longstanding ban on service by gays and Lesbians came to a historic and symbolic end on Wednesday, as President Obama signed Legislation repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the contentious 17-year old Clinton-era law that sought to allow gays to serve under the terms of an uneasy Compromise that required them to keep their Sexuality a secret. “No longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked...

Obama signs 'don't ask, don't tell' repeal
WASHINGTON — Declaring that members of the Military will no longer be asked to lie, President Barack Obama fulfilled a campaign promise Wednesday and signed a landmark law repealing the ban on gay men and women serving openly in the armed services. "This is a good day," a beaming Obama said. "This is a very good day." The service chiefs must complete implementation plans before lifting the old policy — and they must certify to lawmakers that it won’t damage combat readiness, a...

Senate approves defense bill, sends it to House
Source: The Boston Globe WASHINGTON—The Senate passed Legislation on Wednesday that authorizes the Pentagon to spend nearly $160 billion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this Budget year without major restrictions on the conduct of operations. The voice vote on the defense authorization bill came after House and Senate Democrats agreed to strip several provisions, including one that would have allowed gays to serve openly in the Military. "The Controversial aspects of this Legislation have be...

'Thank You, Mr. President!': The Long Road To Repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell
WASHINGTON -- Susan Collins stood at her desk on the Senate floor, a copy of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) Legislation before her, angrily berating her on-again, off-again allies, Joe Lieberman and Carl Levin. Collins furiously waved a copy of the bill at the empty desk of Majority Leader Harry Reid, making it clear to observers in the Senate gallery whom she held responsible for the coming failure. Reid had already walked away, at the end of his patience with Collins' repeated procedural r...

Last-Ditch Move to Block Repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
Just hours before President Obama plans to sign on Wednesday the Repeal of the Military’s 17-year ban on gays serving openly in the Armed Forces, Republicans appear to be trying one last legislative maneuver to block the change. Republicans in the Senate have filed an amendment to a sweeping defense spending bill that would require the four military service chiefs to be part of the certification process called for in the bill that repeals the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Th

Joe Manchin Apologizes for Missing Key Senate Votes, Cites Family Gathering
West Virginia freshman Sen. Joe Manchin, sworn in only five weeks ago, had to apologize for missing key votes last weekend on Immigration Reform and Repeal of the ban on gays serving openly in the Military. It seems the holidays got in the way. Manchin, the former Governor of the Mountain State, took office on Nov. 15, replacing interim Sen. Carte Godwin, the lawmaker he had appointed to fill a vacancy left by the death of Robert Byrd. "Let me apologize to anybody and everybody within our listen...

Obama signs 'don't ask, don't tell' repeal
President Barack Obama signs the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010, Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010, at the Interior Department in Washington. WASHINGTON—Declaring that members of the Military will no longer be asked to lie, President Barack Obama fulfilled a campaign promise Wednesday and signed a landmark law repealing the ban on gay men and women serving openly in the armed services. "This is a good day," a beaming Obama said. "This is a very good day." The service chiefs must comple...

Obama Signs Dont Ask, Dont Tell Repeal: Its a Good Day!
President Obama signs Repeal of DADT Dec. 22, 2010 “It’s a good day,” President Obama said to a grateful audience waiting 17 years for the end of the Military’s discriminatory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. With Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva and Commander Zoe Dunning, as well as members of Congress who were instrumental in passing the Repeal bill looking over his shoulder, on Wednesday morning, President Obama signed into law the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell ...

Saving 'Don't Ask' Repeal Took Wily Band Of Lawmakers
What is this? As President Barack Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act, Rep. Steny Hoyer, Sen. Susan Collins and Sen. Joe Lieberman (obscured behind Collins) stand at the edge of the stage. As President Barack Obama signed the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act, Rep. Steny Hoyer, Sen. Susan Collins and Sen. Joe Lieberman (obscured behind Collins) stand at the edge of the stage. At the signing of the Legislation repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" law, the 17-year-old ban on gays ope...

Obama: Repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' will strengthen national security
Declaring that members of the Military will no longer be asked to lie, President Barack Obama fulfilled a campaign promise Wednesday and signed a landmark law repealing the ban on gay men and women serving openly in the armed services. "This is a good day," a beaming Obama said. "This is a very good day." The service chiefs must complete implementation plans before lifting the old policy — and they must certify to lawmakers that it won't damage combat readiness, as critics charge. But the ...

Will The Right File Suit To Stop DADT Repeal?
It's been a long, hard fight. And as sobering as the outcome may be, we can all be proud that we stood our ground and did what was right for our Soldiers and our country. Now it's time to leave the outcome, however ominous it may be, in the hands of the Lord. But that apparent Resignation did not last long, as the very next day FRC announced that they would be working with Sen. John McCain and other Republicans on ways to limit and ultimately Repeal it: As for FRC, who will take great pleasure i...

Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pay Attention To The Poison Pill
Republicans tried to block DADT with a sneaky amendment in the defense authorization bill, but when they got caught, Mitch McConnell pulled the Poison Pill and disavowed any knowledge of the move. Just hours before President Obama planned to sign on Wednesday the Repeal of the Military’s 17-year ban on gays serving openly in the Armed Forces, Republicans tried one last legislative maneuver to block the change. Republicans in the Senate filed an amendment to a sweeping defense authorizatio...

Last-Minute Effort by GOP Sen. To Block "Don't Ask" Repeal Fails
(Credit: CBS/IStockphoto) In a last-ditch effort to block the Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell last night reportedly filed an amendment to a sweeping defense bill that would likely have prevented or delayed the repeal's implementation, Politico reports. The amendment, which was filed to the broad defense authorization bill, would have required four Military service chiefs to actively take part in the certification process that must take place before re...

Reactions to the signing of the Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010
While there is elation at today's signing, keep in mind this cautionary note from Aubrey Sarvis of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network : "We need the media's help to let Troops know they remain at risk under the law even after the President signs the bill. The Pentagon just released new guidence that made clear "Don't Ask" may still be the law for some time to come. We respectfully renew our call for Defense Secretary Robert Gates to use his authority to suspend all 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' i...

Don't Ask Don't Repeal Signed
So it is done.President Obama this morning signed into law the bill repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. "I am just overwhelmed," Obama said as he took the stage among chants of "Yes we can!" and whoops from the audience. "This is a very good day." "No longer will our country be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans who were forced to leave the Military, regardless of their skills, no matter their Bravery or their zeal, no matter their years of exemplary performance, because they h...

Senate approves defense bill, sends it to House
WASHINGTON – The Senate has passed Legislation that authorizes the Pentagon to spend nearly $160 billion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this Budget year without major restrictions on the conduct of operations. The voice vote on the defense authorization bill came after House and Senate Democrats agreed to strip several provisions, including one that would have allowed gays to serve openly in the Military. The provision that would have overturned the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell...

Obama signs repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' (AFP)
WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Barack Obama Wednesday signed a law allowing gays to serve openly in the Military, repealing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a sweeping and historic shift for the US Armed Forces. "We are not a nation that says 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' We are a nation that says, 'Out of many, we are one,'" Obama said in a raucous and emotive ceremony at the Interior Department in Washington. "We are a nation that ...

Obama Signs DADT Repeal Into Law
President Obama this morning signed into law the bill repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. "I am just overwhelmed," Obama said as he took the stage among chants of "Yes we can!" and whoops from the audience. "This is a very good day." "No longer will our country be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans who were forced to leave the Military, regardless of their skills, no matter their Bravery or their zeal, no matter their years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be ...

No looking back for Pelosi as Democratic House speaker prepares to pass gavel
Here's how she's letting go of the gavel. This Story No looking back for Pelosi as Democratic House Speaker prepares to pass gavel A look at Nancy Pelosi's career on Capitol Hill As Democrats lose House, Nancy Pelosi's historic reign as speaker ends Nancy Pelosi: A career of highs and lows World cloud: Describing the Speaker View All Items in This Story View Only Top Items in This Story House Speaker Nancy Pelosi strode into the chamber, which Tuesday morning was silent and mostly empty. She ...

We Need a Better News Media, Part 1,987,364
The Washington Post: In the minority, Pelosi will be freed from the ceremonial duties of being speaker and crafting a governing agenda. Instead, lawmakers say, she is likely to more narrowly focus on defending Democratic legislative accomplishments and serving as a liberal check on President Obama‘s compromises with Republican leaders. (My emphasis; H/T: Fear and [...] In the minority, Pelosi will be freed from the ceremonial duties of being speaker and crafting a governing agenda. Instea...

Obstruction-obsessed McConnell to Democrats: If you think its bad now, wait till next year
The 111th Congress witnessed a record amount of Republican obstruction. Wielding an unprecedented number of Filibusters, the GOP waged war against the Democratic agenda to defeat Obama, apparently viewing unemployed workers, judicial nominees, service members, and even 9/11 Rescue Workers as Collateral Damage. Think Progress has the story of the Senate Majority Leader’s plans to amp up GOP obstructionism in the next Congress. As Congress entered the lame-duck session, Senate Republicans ...