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Eight Republicans back ‘Don’t ask’ repeal (including Burr from NC!)
Politico ^ | 12/18/2010 | SHIRA TOEPLITZ

Posted on 12/18/2010 3:34:32 PM PST by Brices Crossroads

Eight Republicans bucked their party in backing the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy, potentially risking a backlash from the conservative base while giving the historic vote a stronger bipartisan finish than many expected.

The Republican senators voting “yes” with the Democrats on repeal were Richard Burr of North Carolina, Mark Kirk of Illinois, John Ensign of Nevada, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, George Voinovich of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska – and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both of Maine.

Burr, Ensign and Kirk did not announce their support for repeal before the Saturday vote. Burr and Ensign initially sided with Republicans in a procedural vote to bring the measure to the floor; they voted for repeal on the final vote.

But while Kirk and Ensign had previously indicated they were open to voting for repeal, Burr’s vote came as a surprise even to the sponsors of the legislation. Collins, who led the charge for repeal in the Senate with Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, said she lobbied every other GOP senator who voted for repeal, except for the North Carolina Republican.

“I was confident going into the vote today that we had six to seven votes. I didn't not expect eight,” said Collins. “I was delighted but surprised with the vote from Sen. Burr. I think that was a gutsy vote and I was delighted. But he was not someone who I thought to lobby on the issue.”

Burr explained his reasoning to reporters after final passage.

“It's just that we’ve had a generational change and I have vehemently objected to making a policy change of this magnitude at this time. When cloture was passed, that settled that,” Burr said. “It’s not accepted practice anywhere in our society, and it only makes sense. But again, I was vehemently opposed to the timing of this.”

Another surprise of the day was Kirk, who was just elected to the Senate. As late as Thursday, the newly elected GOP senator told reporters that he was undecided and still combing through the long report from the Joint Chiefs of Staff on the issue.

Yet, in a 400-word statement released after the vote, Kirk explained in detail why he voted for the repeal of the policy.

“Following their exhaustive and considered military judgment, I support the Joint Chief's recommendation to implement the repeal of the current policy once the battle effectiveness of the forces is certified and proper preparations are complete,” said Kirk. “The legislation before us provides our military leaders with the time they requested to change the policy.”

Known for his moderate voting record as a congressman from the northern Chicago suburbs, Kirk was elected in the typically Democratic state of Illinois last November and was sworn into the Senate just three weeks ago.

But since arriving in Washington, Kirk has stood firmly with Senate Republicans. He was vocal in his opposition to the Democrat-backed $1.1 trillion omnibus spending bill, which Majority Leader Harry Reid yanked, voted against the defense reauthorization act that including the repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ and voted against the DREAM Act earlier Saturday.

Two of the Republicans — Brown and Snowe — are up for reelection in 2012.

“The vote speaks for itself,” Brown told POLITICO, before an aide added that he had explained his position in prior published statements and the elevator doors closed.

Voinovich, who is retiring at the end of this Congress, told reporters that he was “convinced, based on all of the experts who have looked at this, this is something that should be done.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46578.html#ixzz18VZMt3Em


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: 2012; dadt; dontaskdonttell; gop; moralabsolutes; rinos
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To: Brices Crossroads

Get ready to see male soldiers holding hands, cupping buttocks, kissing, etc...in uniform.

Get ready to see gay, pink shorts wearing and hair-ribboned loved ones welcoming their soldiers back.

And all of this will lead to a ban on any type of display of affection...which will lead to open acrimony, etc.

Don’t even want to think about the lawsuits and assaults resulting from soldiers (both straight & gay) serving in the foxholes of Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Satan must be throwing a party tonight.


41 posted on 12/18/2010 4:10:41 PM PST by papasmurf (sudo apt-get install Lee Atwater)
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To: Brices Crossroads

If these eight douchebag politicians didn’t vote yes for this would this have passed?

Also, ask yourselves. Around the world, in all militaries, do you think that Russia has a homo brigade. China, Iran any muslim nation for that matter, again, do they have homos serving openly in there militaries?


42 posted on 12/18/2010 4:10:42 PM PST by rambo316 (Rush is Right, Odumbo is an Imposter.)
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To: rambo316

“If these eight douchebag politicians didn’t vote yes for this would this have passed?

Also, ask yourselves. Around the world, in all militaries, do you think that Russia has a homo brigade. China, Iran any muslim nation for that matter, again, do they have homos serving openly in there militaries?”

Answer: No great Military power such as Russia or China (who are potential adversaries of ours) allow this. Only “has been” powers like Britain and France and Germany and of course “never were” powers like Sweden and Norway and mighty Luxembourg.


43 posted on 12/18/2010 4:13:50 PM PST by Brices Crossroads
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To: Brices Crossroads

I’m pretty much in agreement. He’s certainly not going to support conservatives on social issues or the Second Amendment. And I doubt he’s going to be very reliable on economic matters. IIRC, he’s all for cap and trade (might be wrong on that, though).


44 posted on 12/18/2010 4:16:10 PM PST by DemforBush (I got three passports, a couple of visas. You don't even know my real name..)
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To: Brices Crossroads

My family were HUGE supporters of Sharron Angle. Unfortunately, Dingy Harry really did a job on her in Nevada. I doubt her image can be repaired. Too bad. Disgustedw/EnsignInReno.


45 posted on 12/18/2010 4:18:43 PM PST by sjneuf
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To: ridesthemiles

Consider this...what is the status of the investigations into Ensign? Is this perhaps part of the deal to end the investigation?


46 posted on 12/18/2010 4:18:55 PM PST by ruralvoter
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To: GeronL

Most conservatives are opposed to repeal of DADT, but it was hardly the “message” on election day.

That was the whole point of waiting until the lame duck to vote on it — to keep it out of the discussion in November.


47 posted on 12/18/2010 4:22:25 PM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: Brices Crossroads
based on all of the experts who have looked at this, this is something that should be done

All the experts ... are LIARS. Just primary these RINOs into the dustbin of history.

48 posted on 12/18/2010 4:23:08 PM PST by VRWC For Truth (Throw the bums out who vote yes on the bailout)
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To: Brices Crossroads

What would be fitting is for harry and barney to be interred together, horizontal and superimposed, for all eternity in a frozen graveyard in siberia.


49 posted on 12/18/2010 4:23:08 PM PST by mapmaker77
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To: papasmurf
And all of this will lead to a ban on any type of display of affection...which will lead to open acrimony, etc. Don’t even want to think about the lawsuits and assaults resulting from soldiers (both straight & gay) serving in the foxholes of Afghanistan and elsewhere.

All of which is designed to happen to destroy our military. The libs hate real soldiers and are afraid of them. This is the libs way of destroying something through social experimentation instead of legislation.

50 posted on 12/18/2010 4:23:44 PM PST by raybbr (Someone who invades another country is NOT an immigrant - illegal or otherwise.)
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To: ruralvoter
Sen. John Ensign says he’ll not face federal charges from a Justice Department investigation into his extramarital affair with a former campaign staffer, a surprising announcement that may have a big impact on his 2012 reelection prospects. Ensign is still being investigated by the Senate Ethics Committee over his affair with Cindy Hampton, his former campaign treasurer. Doug Hampton, her husband, was serving as Ensign’s deputy chief of staff when the affair began. Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/45815.html#ixzz18VmGZZdAhttp://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/45815.html
51 posted on 12/18/2010 4:24:07 PM PST by sjneuf
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To: Brices Crossroads

All this bull$hit is being pushed by those powers to destroy us. Same with the enviromental Bull$hit. In no other country, do they allow or have enviromental wackos dictating what they do as nations. My fellow Americans we have got to stop this because we are going to be done as a country, if not already. These are all useful idiots perpetrated on us by moscow.


52 posted on 12/18/2010 4:28:49 PM PST by rambo316 (Rush is Right, Odumbo is an Imposter.)
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To: dynachrome

“A further prediction: within 6 months, a male homo will demand a sex change at taxpayer expense, and be assigned to one of the female military units.”

Interesting. . and all in the interest of diversity. IF a “gay” person had REALLY wanted to lay their life on the line for their country, they COULD have. No one was stopping them. Maybe some have over the decades; who knows. My Dad, who was an infantry soldier in the Army during WWII said that flaming homosexuals washed out in basic training; and any who might have gone through undetected would have just served and staying alive in that hell would have taken up all their time and energy.

The social experimentation they’ve done as regards women being so close to combat has not been an enhancement. A former officer told me that his outfit would get an order to “bug out”, but the women under his command couldn’t do the heavy lifting to bug out - so, they just simply didn’t bug out. Just defining standards down; that’s the liberal way to make everybody “equal”.


53 posted on 12/18/2010 4:31:18 PM PST by Twinkie (Doing nothing is the most tiring job there is; you can't quit and rest . .)
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To: ridesthemiles

Yup, John Ensign of Nevada is up for reelection in 2012.


54 posted on 12/18/2010 4:32:00 PM PST by Red Steel
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To: Brices Crossroads

All of our enemies are phucking laughing at us right now people, we are laughing stocks of the world. We have been totally infiltrated with useful idiots. They are guarding the asylum now.


55 posted on 12/18/2010 4:34:39 PM PST by rambo316 (Rush is Right, Odumbo is an Imposter.)
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To: Brices Crossroads

Poor Buck, he lives next door to a gay married couple in Santa Clarita.
They always talk shit about him and his wife, it’s sad that tolerance only seems to be a one way street with them.
We were very good friends with the two women, one we’ve known for twenty years. We attended their wedding when California legalized gay marriage and we could hardly stomach it. It was more a gay pride celebration than a so called wedding. My wife and I left early and I’ll never forget how unfriendly all their gay friends were toward us, I think that’s the most uncomfortable I’ve ever been.


56 posted on 12/18/2010 4:37:24 PM PST by StayoutdaBushesWay (Why Johnny Ringo, you look like someone just walked over your grave!)
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To: Brices Crossroads

Pity, I had some hopes for Dickie Burr.

Ah well, have 6 yrs to kick the heck out of him to EVERYONE who brings up anything NC politics wise.


57 posted on 12/18/2010 4:40:00 PM PST by padre35 (You shall not ignore the laws of God, the Market, the Jungle, and Reciprocity Rm10.10)
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To: GenXteacher

Voinovich was “convinced, based on all of the experts who have looked at this, this is something that should be done.”
I agree, based on all the experts (voters) something should be done: The GOP should be buried in its own sewage and real Patriots elected who still have moral courage.


58 posted on 12/18/2010 4:49:13 PM PST by Conservative9
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To: Brices Crossroads

Burr, old boy, you just betrayed a LOT of people back home that just voted for you. That takes SOME chutzpah. Enjoy this six years. They’ll be your last.


59 posted on 12/18/2010 4:58:06 PM PST by patriot preacher
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To: Brices Crossroads; All
And Kirk was scratching his head wondering why Sarah Palin didn't want anything to do with him...

Mark Kirk: How can I get Sarah Palin to like me?

Sarah Palin's coming to town, but not for Kirk

60 posted on 12/18/2010 5:02:26 PM PST by Virginia Ridgerunner (Sarah Palin has crossed the Rubicon!)
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