http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-MjLWkDNqY
From the transcript:
I am proud to sign a law that will bring an end to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” (Applause.) It is a law — this law I’m about to sign will strengthen our national security and uphold the ideals that our fighting men and women risk their lives to defend.
No longer will our country be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans who were forced to leave the military -– regardless of their skills, no matter their bravery or their zeal, no matter their years of exemplary performance -– because they happen to be gay. No longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie, or look over their shoulder, in order to serve the country that they love.
Meanwhile, last night Mitch McConnell tried a last minute amendment to block the repeal. Lieberman stopped it:
McConnell attempted to add an amendment to the so-called stripped-down defense authorization bill that would have required the consent of the military service chiefs to proceed with “don’t ask” repeal. Under legislation passed by the Senate last week, certifications are required from the president, the secretary of defense and the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. All the incumbents in those positions support repeal.
“It was a McConnell proposal,” a GOP aide confirmed. “There was an attempted to get unanimous consent for it to be included in the defense bill and someone objected.”
McConnell’s amendment, which Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and other GOP senators have been urging for months, called for certifications from the four service chiefs. All of the incumbents in those positions have expressed at least some reservations about repeal at this time.
Repeal advocates have long viewed such an amendment as a poison pill. Presumably, this is what prompted Lieberman’s objection.
Greg Sargent looks at how Harry Reid did it. He begins:
A month ago, with no members of the press present, Harry Reid gave a speech at the private wedding of his openly gay communications director, Jon Summers. According to a source who was present, Reid spoke powerfully in favor of equality for gay and lesbian Americans.
I’m reporting this previously undisclosed episode because I’m not sure folks fully grasp how instrumental Reid was in getting don’t ask don’t tell repealed. Specifically, I don’t think it’s clearly understood what was so effective about his strategy, and why it was central to getting this done against all odds.
The usual suspects offer up some of the usual snark…
Pat Buchanan declares it a Christian Rout in the Culture War (via):
Let us hope this works out better for the Marine Corps than it did for the Catholic Church.
Remarkable. The least respected of American institutions, Congress, with an approval rating of 13 percent, is imposing its cultural and moral values on the most respected of American institutions, the U.S. military.
“Isn’t it revealing, my friends, the same people who have only shown hatred and contempt for the US. military are the ones celebrating ‘DADT’ as a great historic accomplishment? So much irony in all this. So if we’re not going to call it the PFC Bradley Manning Act, what are we going to call it? Show and tell?”
Limbaugh was referring to Bradley Manning, the gay soldier currently imprisoned over the Wikileaks scandal.
Limbaugh also asked whether the repeal of ‘DADT’ means Hillary Clinton can now join the Marines. Limbaugh has previously said that Clinton wasn’t let into Marines because “they didn’t have uniforms or boots big enough to fit that butt and those ankles.”
Tangential, but still fun. Pat Robertson to a straight man who says a gay friend has come on to him, “The Bible says flee…” Watch it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQS0BKV3NxQ&feature=player_embedded