Bi-partisan effort could see repeal by the end of the year
Washington, DC -
A bi-partisan deal being engineered by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) could provide for the repeal of the controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) law which had been attached to the Defense Authorization bill which failed Thursday in the Senate.
A stand-alone bill is being proposed by the two Senators, and head counts suggest it could muster the 60 votes needed to pass, with one or two to spare.
The filibuster of the Defense Authorization bill by Republicans Thursday was not so much a vote against DADT by Republicans, but political arm-wrestling over tax and spending priorities. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) gambled and lost by bringing the bill to the floor Thursday without opposition grievances having been addressed.
According to Politico.com, one DADT advocate, who asked not to be named, said "If [repeal] fails – and it is obvious that the Democrats set it up for failure -- it will be IMPOSSIBLE to raise money for Senate Democrats that are up in 2012."
In a Thursday evening statement, President Obama said: "I urge the Senate to revisit these important issues during the lame duck session."
Illinois freshman Sen. Mark Kirk (R) voted against repealing DADT twice as a House member, but has yet to state his position on the repeal saying he would carefully review the Pentagon report.
Gay rights groups continue to urge Illinois voters to call Kirk's office at (202) 224-2854 and Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin (D) at (202) 224-2152.
An unnamed staffer told the Huffington Post that a majority of callers to Kirk's Senate office wanted to see DADT repealed. LGBT Change and TCRA report that his office was flooded with calls which caused the office phone lines to go down on Thursday.
LGBTChange, a gay rights advocacy group, plans a protest for the repeal of DADT outside Sen. Kirk's Chicago office at Adams and Dearborn, Friday at 12:15 p.m.
A stand-alone bill is being proposed by the two Senators, and head counts suggest it could muster the 60 votes needed to pass, with one or two to spare.
The filibuster of the Defense Authorization bill by Republicans Thursday was not so much a vote against DADT by Republicans, but political arm-wrestling over tax and spending priorities. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) gambled and lost by bringing the bill to the floor Thursday without opposition grievances having been addressed.
According to Politico.com, one DADT advocate, who asked not to be named, said "If [repeal] fails – and it is obvious that the Democrats set it up for failure -- it will be IMPOSSIBLE to raise money for Senate Democrats that are up in 2012."
In a Thursday evening statement, President Obama said: "I urge the Senate to revisit these important issues during the lame duck session."
Illinois freshman Sen. Mark Kirk (R) voted against repealing DADT twice as a House member, but has yet to state his position on the repeal saying he would carefully review the Pentagon report.
Gay rights groups continue to urge Illinois voters to call Kirk's office at (202) 224-2854 and Illinois Sen. Richard Durbin (D) at (202) 224-2152.
An unnamed staffer told the Huffington Post that a majority of callers to Kirk's Senate office wanted to see DADT repealed. LGBT Change and TCRA report that his office was flooded with calls which caused the office phone lines to go down on Thursday.
LGBTChange, a gay rights advocacy group, plans a protest for the repeal of DADT outside Sen. Kirk's Chicago office at Adams and Dearborn, Friday at 12:15 p.m.
