Don't Ask Don't Tell

As you may recall, my last blog entry on this was called "What's next?" HCR had just passed, and Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal had finished waiting its turn after earning its place in line through many speeches, rallies, lots of civil disobedience, and many careers and lives ruined. And like many issues coming to the floor of the Senate these days, it must overcome a filibuster. This is yet another area where a Senator Marshall rather than Senator Burr would be the difference between progress and potential failure. Two potential swing votes come from Maine, and so that is where Lady Gaga headed to rally in support of repeal after her recent Raleigh concert, along with veterans, and the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. More on the rally, and the crucial vote below.

This morning Senator Hagan held a conference call with members of the media to discuss her trip to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq as well as her other activities over the spring recess. She stepped out of a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting to speak with us and the first question to her was about the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Senator Hagan responded that we have a volunteer military and she feels anybody who is willing and able to serve should be afforded that right.

When pressed further as to whether she supports Senator Lieberman's bill Senator Hagan emphasized that she supports repeal of the policy, but fell short of specifically endorsing Senator Lieberman's bill.

I'm supporting turning back that bill. The department of defense is committeed to repealing the outdated policy and Secretary Gates has announced that he will conduct a study to determine how best to implement the repeal.

More on the conference call later.

For those fans of West Wing out there, you may recall that President Bartlett, when finishing a contentious issue or rallying the troops for a hard vote, would follow it up with those ominous words: "What's Next?" Right now and until that vote is cast and the legislation is signed into law we need to give health care reform our all. But the moment it is signed, we also need to look at what's next. And I'm asking for your help to make sure that is Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal. The time has come to take this next step towards equality, but it'll only happen if we take it together.

Make sure Kay Hagan, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, knows where you stand on DADT repeal:
Please give her a call: 202-224-6342. And shoot her a message: http://hagan.senate.gov/contact/

News coverage, many pictures, and civil disobedience beyond the fold...

Cross-posted from a post at Proverbially Penned.

Freshman congressman Larry Kissell has drawn his first official challenger in the form of Tim D'Annunzio, who, it appears, is also acting as a tea-party candidate within the GOP. D'Annunzio did a fantastic job, as CQ Politics reports, of garnering free media attention by holding fundraisers appealing to the crazier individuals among us. D'Annunzio decided a $25 a plate dinner of North Carolina barbeque and sweet tea just wasn't enough to get people excited about his campaign. So he decided to let his supporters come out, enjoy a good meal, and shoot an Uzi or an MP-5 submachine gun.

No, I'm not kidding; he seriously did this:

But wait! There's more. Not only is D'Annunzio running for Congress, he's also acting as if he is the savior of the GOP. More after the break...

President Obama called for an end to the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy in his State of the Union address. Senator Carl Levin from Michigan has indicated hearings may begin in February.

This is a really pressing issue. The US Military is the largest employer in the US making them the largest employer of LGBT people, too. This is also about jobs, national security, ending discrimination and helping our service members not worry about being discharged because they utter a pronoun that gives themselves away.

Let's end Don't Ask Don't Tell. It is a shameful policy that has no place in the US.

Cross-posted on Amplify

Defense Secretary Robert Gates made a pathetic excuse about why Obama hasn't followed through on his promise to end Don't Ask Don't Tell-

The president and I feel like we've got a lot on our plates right now, and uh lets push that one [reffering to dont ask dont tell] down the road a little bit.

Jon Stewart, one of my heroes, had a very simple message for Obama about this on The Daily Show this week:

All that stuff you've been putting on your plate? It's F***ing chow time, brother.

Faith in America, a North Carolina-based organization formed to end legal and spiritual discrimination against LGBT people in America by providing information about religion-based bigotry and its historic expressions, takes exception with General Pace's remarks about the immorality of gays, since he used his beliefs to justify public policy that discriminates against gays and lesbians who wish to serve their country.

A message from Jimmy Creech, executive director of Faith In America, is after the jump.