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
OMG! Burr voted yes on this?????? I feel sick!
OMG! Burr voted yes on this?????? I feel sick!
I wish someone could explain to me why,in the military, it is now okay for gay men to sleep and shower with men, but it’s not okay for men and women to sleep and shower together.
You might be right on Brown. I wish I could say I was
appalled, but nowadays I expect the worse. BTW there
were a number of Republican no-shows, Hatch among them.
New slogans for the military:
Airforce: “Aim bi-”
Navy: “Its not a career, its a lifestyle”
Marines: “The few, the proud, the gay marines”
And, to finish it off,
Navy: “Where we can all be rear admiral”
Is Kirk not up for re-election in ‘12?
Just wouldn’t be perverted enough. 0 wants to destroy our military
and the clueless Republicans that helped think they’re doing the gays a favor, I guess.
When we no longer have a reliable military it will be too late.
It’s the 0 regime plan. Reduce our military to ladies and delete our weapons but let other countries have all the fire power/nukes they want.
How transparent is that for crying out loud?
BTW...WHERE’S OUR DAMN BORDER SECURITY? We’re being taken over by drug gangs and the leftist could care less.
New here. Really sickened that they overturned the ban & how they did it. I am 27 yr vet, and have son in Air Force Basic right now. Angry at myself for just standing by watching all this. Can’t even discuss Liberals civilily right now. Know we have got to fight back, but effectively. Where to start ???????????????
The people who supported Brown in Massachusetts will lose interest. MA will go back to the Dems. It may be the only seat to switch hands in 2012.
Gads I didn’t know we had so many ac/dc elected members in the Republican congress. I thought they belonged to the gang of barney fag and his ilk in the demcrat party. I’ve been living under a silver cloud...darn!
Yeah, sure.
Any wonder that it was the usual suspect RINOS voting for this atrocity? All of them must be replaced.
March 14, 1778; General Orders
At a General Court Martial whereof Colo. Tupper was President (10th March 1778), Lieutt. Enslin of Colo. Malcom's Regiment [was] tried for attempting to commit sodomy, with John Monhort a soldier; Secondly, For Perjury in swearing to false accounts, [he was] found guilty of the charges exhibited against him, being breaches of 5th. Article 18th. Section of the Articles of War and [we] do sentence him to be dismiss'd [from] the service with infamy. His Excellency the Commander in Chief approves the sentence and with abhorrence and detestation of such infamous crimes orders Lieutt. Enslin to be drummed out of camp tomorrow morning by all the drummers and fifers in the Army never to return; The drummers and fifers [are] to attend on the Grand Parade at Guard mounting for that Purpose.
General Washington held a clear understanding of the rules for order and discipline, and as the original Commander-in-Chief, he was the first not only to forbid, but even to punish, homosexuals in the military. An edict issued by the Continental Congress communicates the moral tone which lay at the base of Washington's actions:
The Commanders of . . . the thirteen United Colonies are strictly required to show in themselves a good example of honor and virtue to their officers and men and to be very vigilant in inspecting the behavior of all such as are under them, and to discountenance and suppress all dissolute, immoral, and disorderly practices, and also such as are contrary to the rules of discipline and obedience, and to correct those who are guilty of the same.
Give it 2-3 years - they will have PINK TANKS!!! Believe it! Wait till the Army has Gay Pride day!
A rainbow flag motif for service ribbons.
It is my firm opinion that each and every one of the so called Republicans= Senators be forced (yes, I said forced) to experience a sodomy episode several times over. If they really enjoyed it, then their vote was valid. I think Snowe, Murkowski and that other Senator broad from Maine has been getting it for years.
Yes, I am a retired military man and am glad I don’t have to put with this sh!t anymore.
I also hope that the Military Medical Family is geared up financially and equipment wise to handle the flood of HIV and AIDS that will follow. Oh yes, I forgot lacerated rectums too.
“Can’t even discuss Liberals civilily right now. Know we have got to fight back, but effectively. Where to start ???????????????”
Sorry that your son is going to have to endure this nonsense. This policy is designed to drive good patriotic Americans out of the Armed Forces. The people who pushed repeal of DADT are beneath contempt.
I think the best approach is to pressure the incoming GOP House majority to hold hearings on this and to call as witnesses all the active duty personnel who can testify to how odious this policy has been.
Make sure the hearings and all the evidence against it get huge publicity in flyover country. Ram a repeal through he House and then put pressure on the Senate, starting withthe ones who are up in 2012.
In post 17, I give some of the contact info, including the new Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Howard Buck McKeon of California.
I don’t care why they voted to allow queers to openly be in the military.
They are the scum of the earth.
It’s funny 2% homosexuals in the country and 67 of them are in the Senate.
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