Thoughts on the DADT Cloture Vote

As many of you know, today the Senate voted 63-33 to invoke cloture (stop debate) on the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. The final vote, in which only a simple majority is required, is scheduled for later this afternoon and should pass easily.

Some random thoughts:

• It pains me to say this, but Joe Lieberman (I-CT) gets a gold star on his forehead for tirelessly championing the repeal effort. Lieberman wasn't going to let anyone - including his good friend, ancient bigot John McCain - get in the way of repeal.
• I am so glad that Kirsten Gillibrand is the junior Senator from New York - and not that Conservadem Harold Ford. I called it back in January - Gillibrand was/is the right person to represent my state.
• Six Republicans voted in favor of cloture: Snowe and Collins (ME), Voinovich (OH), Brown (MA) and Kirk (IL) and Murkowski (AK). Snowe, Collins and Brown are understandable - they come from liberal Northeast states. Voinovich is retiring, so he was free to do the right thing. Kirk (who holds President Obama's old Senate seat) is a pleasant surprise. But perhaps the most delicious is Lisa Murkowski - who won in a write-in candidacy over Sarah Palin's hand-picked crony Joe Miller. I hope Ms. Murkowski spends the next six years in the Senate doing things to piss off Mama Grossly.
• Joe Manchin, the newly-elected DEMOCRATIC Senator from West Virginia, did not vote. Just become a Republican already, will ya?!?

UPDATE: The bill passes easily - 65-31. Two Republicans switched their previous cloture vote and voted for repeal - Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Sen. John Ensign (R-NV). I guess even some Republicans didn't want to end up on the wrong side of history with John McCain and the other homophobes.

Now it's off to the President's desk for his signature.

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Bernie Sanders - Old-School Filibuster

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is filibustering on the Senate floor right now - and is currently being assisted by Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA). It's kind of cool to watch.

Catch it on C-SPAN HERE.

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URGENT: DADT Action Alert

Call Your Senators Now! (via Joe.My.God)

Servicemembers Legal Defense Network has issued an "all hands on deck" alert, asking you to call your Senators and demand their support of the repeal of DADT.

If you live in the following states, call the Capitol switchboard number below: Maine, Indiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Missouri, West Virginia, Arkansas and Illinois.

202-224-3121

KEY SENATORS WHO NEED TO HEAR FROM REPEAL SUPPORTERS NOW:

--Susan Collins (R-ME)

--Olympia Snowe (R-ME)

--Richard Lugar (R-IN)

--Judd Gregg (R-NH)

--Scott Brown (R-MA)

--George Voinovich (R-OH)

--Kit Bond (R-MO)

--Joe Manchin (D-WV)

--Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

--Mark Kirk (R-IL)

Sample script: "Hello, my name is ______ and I’m a constituent from __________ (city, state). I’m calling to tell Senator _______ to stay in Washington and not break for holiday vacation until "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal is passed this year. Fight back against Senators John McCain and Mitch McConnell's obstructionism and pass repeal this year. Thank you.”

Truth In Advertising

David Vitter's (R-LA) new ad for re-election to the U.S. Senate is the Gold Standard by which all other political ads should be measured. Nothing but cold, hard facts.

 

 Hat tip: The Daily What

Lady Gaga Will Rally Against McCain DADT Filibuster in Maine Tomorrow

Lady Gaga will rally in Portland Maine tomorrow against John McCain's filibuster of the Defense Authorization. It is a push to force Maine's relatively moderate Republican Senators - Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins - to join Democrats and end the Senate filibuster, bringing the bill (which contains a provision to end Don't Ask Don't Tell) to the floor of the Senate for a vote.

According to the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), the 60 votes to end the filibuster are NOT in place - so support fromSnowe and Collins  is crucial.  Via AmericaBlog

The votes to break McCain’s filibuster are not there. We need Sens. Snowe and Collins on board; they’re key to us breaking the filibuster. With the vote less than 48 hours away, we need everyone supporting repeal to call the Senate. We’re bringing gay and straight service members to Portland to help make the case. And we’re proud to have the support of Lady Gaga to bring grassroots attention to repeal at a critical hour. Like Lady Gaga, all New England senators, indeed all 100 senators, Democrats and Republicans, need to engage in a real debate on this issue, and not just posture and spin this week over procedure and Senate rules.

... SLDN member (and veteran) Aubrey Sarvis

The rally, called “For the 14,000”: A Rally for the 14,000+ Discharged" is tomorrow at 4:00 PM Eastern in Deering Oaks Park (near the University of Southern Maine). For those on Twitter, the hashtag is #4the14k.

Also, if you haven't called your Senators yet, tomorrow (Monday) is the day to do it.

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A Touching Message ...

... from the great state of Delaware.

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BunnyNation Action Alert - DADT!

Dearest DustBunnies,

I don't ask you for much - just reading my blog and maybe leave a comment or two is usually enough.  But today I really need you to do me (and your country) a favor.  TODAY you need to call your Senators (both of them), and ask them to vote to repeal the Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) policy.

From the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN):

SENATE VOTE VERY TIGHT: For repeal to happen advocates need more senators on board to break John McCain’s filibuster. All supporters must call their senators now.

KEY SENATORS UNCOMMITTED ON BREAKING THE FILIBUSTER:

--Susan Collins (R-ME)

--Olympia Snowe (R-ME)

--Mark Pryor (D-Ark.);

--Richard Lugar (R-IN);

--Judd Gregg (R-NH);

--Jim Webb (D-VA)

--George Voinovich (R-OH);

All you have to do is call the Capital Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be transferred to your Senator's office. If you don't know who your Senators are, go HERE and find out.

It's really easy to do. Watch Lauren and Ellie from Boulder, Colorado call their Senator - and then encourage their friends to do the same...

I called both my Senators this afternoon - Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer - even though they are both strongly committed to repealing DADT.  I called the Switchboard, asked to be transferred to Senator _______ 's office, and when the receptionist answered I asked to leave a message for the Senator.  Both of my Senators' offices took actual messages (as opposed to voicemail) - so I courteously said:

"I am asking Senator _________ to vote in favor of repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell".

That was it - easy as pie. Senator Gillibrand's office asked me my name and zip code (to make sure I was a consituent), Schumer's did not.

So, again, I am asking all of you to take 3 minutes out of your day - RIGHT NOW - and call your Senators at (202) 224-3121.  This is especially important if you are a resident of Maine, Arkansas, Indiana, Virginia and Ohio (see above), but EVERYONE needs to do this. Even if you live in a state with two conservative Republican Senators, call their offices and let your voice be heard.

Darlings, again - I don't ask you for much - but today I'm asking you to make two quick and easy phone calls.  The BunnyNation, much like Glen Close in Fatal Attraction, will NOT BE IGNORED!! ...

For more ways to get involved, go to SLDN HERE.  And please let us know (in the Comments) how your phone calls went.

If You Live In Massachusetts ...

Vote for Martha Coakley today - and tell your friends to do the same!!

Martha Coakley for U.S. Senate

This is SERIOUS people - according to the latest polls, Ted Kennedy's U.S. Senate seat could go to a REPUBLICAN in tomorrow's special election.  And a real slimy Republican to boot.

Daily Kos reports the latest polling from PPP, and it's not looking good...

Martha Coakley 46% 
Scott Brown 51% 

THIS IS IMPORTANT: If you live in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, PLEASE vote for Martha Coakley tomorrow.  And make sure your friends do as well.

Do it for Teddy...

Harold Ford - PLEASE GO AWAY

Harold Ford, Jr. comes from a family of Tennessee politicians.  Unfortunately for Mr. Ford, he can't seem to win elections in his home state anymore - so he has set his sights on Kirsten Gillibrand's New York Senate seat.

But Mr. Ford's Blue Dog Democrat conservatism doesn't fly here in New York.  Although he currently appears to be changing his positions to match his new "home" state, we always have Teh YouTubez to remind us who Harold Ford REALLY is.

He was (is?) pro-life/anti-women's right to choose...

Harold Ford was (is?) SO proud of his anti-gay marriage stand while in Tennessee, he decided to highlight it in a campaign ad...

While in the U.S. House of Representatives, Harold Ford was one of only 36 Democrats who voted for a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in 2004.  Then he voted to enshrine discrimination into the U.S. Constitution AGAIN in 2006.  You're doing a heckuva job, Fordy!

Note to Harold Ford:  We already have two Democratic Senators in the State of New York.  Why would you challenge one of them - costing the party precious resources which could be used to challenge Republicans?  Why don't you try and run for a Senate seat in a state with two REPUBLICAN Senators?  You know, like TENNESSEE?!?

Even the Obama administration has sent signals to Ford, telling him they are happy with Senator Gillibrand and for Ford to back off. But slimeballs like Harold Ford only think about themselves, and he probabably won't listen.

Dear Harold Ford: NEW YORK DOESN'T NEED YOU AND DOESN'T WANT YOU.  PLEASE GO AWAY.

Public Option Action

Daily Kos did an excellent roundup yesterday about where the Public Option stands while healthcare is being debated in the Senate Finance Committee. The post encourages Progressives to contact their Democratic Senators and insist on a strong Public Option as part of the final healthcare bill.

Here is a list of the Democrats on the committee, and their contact information. If any of these men or women happen to be one of YOUR Senators, please call or click on the link to email them. Yes, offices are closed over the weekend - but voicemail and email inboxes always get checked.

Max Baucus MT (Committee Chair)
e-mail
Phone: (202) 224-2651
Fax: (202) 224-9412

John Rockefeller WV
e-mail
Phone (202) 224-6472
Fax (202) 224-7665

Kent Conrad ND
e-mail
Phone: (202) 224-2043
Fax: (202) 224-7776

Jeff Bingaman NM
e-mail
Phone: (202) 224-5521
Toll Free (in NM) 1800-433-8658

John Kerry MA
e-mail
Phone (202) 224-2742
Fax (202) 224-8525

Blanche Lincoln AR
e-mail
Phone: (202) 224-4843
Fax: (202) 228-1371

Ron Wyden OR
e-mail
Phone: (202) 224-5244
Fax: (202) 228-2717

Charles Shumer NY
e-mail
Phone:(202)224-6542
Fax: (202) 228-3027

Debbie Stabenow MI
e-mail
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4822

Maria Cantwell WA
e-mail
Phone: 202-224-3441
Fax: (202) 228-0514

Bill Nelson FL
e-mail
Phone: (202) 224-5274
Fax: (202) 228-2183

Robert Mendez NJ
e-mail
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: (202) 224-4744
Fax: (202) 228-2197 fax

Thomas Carper DE
e-mail
Phone: (202) 224-2441
Fax: (202) 228-2190

JUSTICE Sonia Sotomayor...

The vote was 68 yes- 31 no. The smart gal from the Bronx did it!