Lieberman wants Senate to stay in session until it repeals 'Don't ask, don't tell'

More Dems Sign On To Extended Session Plan To Save DADT Repeal
Add Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) to the list of Democrats who say the Senate should stay open long enough to give Republicans the time they require to bring the Military's ban on Openly Gay servicemembers to an end. Asked by TPM yesterday if he supported Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-CT) call for the Senate to keep the Lame Duck session going past the scheduled break if necessary to get Repeal passed, Levin's office confirmed his Endorsement of the idea. Levin's the chair of the Armed Services Committee, ...

Top Democrats 'Supportive' Of Keeping Senate In Session For 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal
WASHINGTON -- Top Senate Democrats are willing to keep the chamber in session longer than expected in order to overturn the Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. But leadership is not yet ready to commit to working up to -- or even through -- the Christmas break. A Senate aide told The Huffington Post on Monday morning that Majority Leader Harry Reid has been "supportive" of the idea that lawmakers be kept in D.C. to pass a defense authorization bill that has, attached to it, language th...

Joe Lieberman wants Senate to stay in session until it repeals 'Don't ask' policy
Source: The Hill Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) wants the Senate to stay in session until it's passed Legislation to do away with the Military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Lieberman, a key Senate proponent of repealing the Military's ban on Openly Gay or Lesbian members, doesn't want the chamber to adjourn until it's acted on a defense authorization bill that contains a provision to do away with the policy. “Sen. Lieberman believes that there are at least 60 votes to Repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Do

Lieberman: Let's Stay In D.C. Until DADT Is Repealed
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) says the Senate should vote on repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell before it goes home for Christmas -- even if that means keeping Senators in town through the holiday. "Wanting to go home is not an acceptable excuse for failing to pass a bill that provides essential support for our Troops and Veterans and failing to take action that the president, the secretary of Defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have called for," a Lieberman spokesperson told The Hi...

Lieberman: hold Senate in thru holidays over 'don't ask'
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), one of the leading Congressional proponents of repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," is signaling that the Senate should stay in session right up to New Year's if necessary to pass a bill permitting an end to the ban on Openly Gay servicemembers. "Senator Lieberman is working closely with colleagues on both sides of the aisle and he is confident that there are at least 60 votes to Repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ this year, provid...

Lieberman Demands Senate Stay In Session Through The Holiday To Repeal DADT
Despite comprehensive support to overturn the Military’s DADT policy, Republican lawmakers have manufactured a catalogue of objections to its Repeal. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) articulated the latest excuse yesterday on NBC’s Meet the Press, claiming other “Controversial items” in the defense authorization bill — like expanding reproductive health services on military bases — prevent the Senate from having enough time to debate and “...

Joe Lieberman agrees: keep Senate in session to repeal don't ask don't tell
Who is reading about Sarah Palin -- and why? Last night, I called on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to keep the chamber in session until the Repeal of don't ask don't tell is done. Late this morning, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) endorsed that idea via Twitter. WaPo's @CapehartJ hits the important point: "Keep #Senate in session until #DADT repealed. 'If not now when?'" We have never been as close as we are to repealing the ban on Gay men and Lesbians from serving openly in the milita...

Way To Go, Joe
I really don't have a whole lot of love for Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), especially when he gets all serious and sanctimonious about other people's Morality (and speaking of moral lapses, there's the whole supporting John McCain in the last election after being the VP nominee in 2000), but this time I am very happy to hear this:Lieberman, a key Senate proponent of repealing the Military’s ban on Openly Gay or Lesbian members, doesn’t want the chamber to adjourn until it’s acted ...

Way To Go, Joe
I really don't have a whole lot of love for Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), especially when he gets all serious and sanctimonious about other people's Morality (and speaking of moral lapses, there's the whole supporting John McCain in the last election after being the VP nominee in 2000), but this time I am very happy to hear this:Lieberman, a key Senate proponent of repealing the Military’s ban on Openly Gay or Lesbian members, doesn’t want the chamber to adjourn until it’s acted ...

Gates not optimistic for quick repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell'
(CNN) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday he was "not particularly optimistic" that Congress would soon Repeal the "don't ask, don' tell" policy banning Openly Gay and Lesbian personnel from the Military. During a visit to the USS Abraham Lincoln, an Aircraft Carrier deployed in the Arabian Gulf, Gates also made clear that even if the Senate approves a measure already passed by the House to end the Controversial 1993 policy, it would be some time before the military fully implements a r...

Don't leave until don't ask don't tell is done
Who is reading about Sarah Palin -- and why? The Compromise struck on extending the Bush Tax Cuts, Unemployment Insurance and other measures should (hopefully) keep the anemic economic recovery going. Fine. Great. Okay. But I'm more happy the framework for a deal has been achieved because it frees up the legislative calendar to Repeal of don't ask don't tell. No one should think of leaving town until that's done. Not Congress. Not the president. Yesterday, I called on Senate Majority Leader Harr...

White House 'confident' Congress will deal with 'don't ask' this year
Despite increased gloominess among advocates for Repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," the White House is insisting that Congress will have time to take up the issue before it adjourns for the year. Language allowing Repeal of the ban on Openly Gay members of the Military is currently part of the National Defense Authorization Act pending in the Senate, but there are doubts about whether the Senate's schedule will allow enough floor time to meet Republican demands for ample time to deba...

No reason not to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
With the release last week of the Pentagon Working Group study on implementing Repeal of the bigoted "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and its effect on service members, the Senate now has no reason to reject repeal. The policy, in effect since 1993, allows gays, Lesbians and Bisexuals to serve in the Military as long as they keep their Sexual Orientation secret.  The comprehensive survey found that allowing Openly Gay and lesbian Troops would have little lasting impact on the milita...

Lieberman pushes 'don't ask'
As the Senate wrangles over Tax Cuts and jobless benefits, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) continues to work to Repeal the Pentagon’s policy barring gays from serving openly in the Military, even if it means pushing this lame-duck session into overtime. On Monday, Lieberman tweeted a blog post from Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart, saying that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) should keep the chamber in session this year until it passes a bill ending “don’t ...

Congressional calendar endangers repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell'
This was supposed to be the year that the law banning gays from serving openly in the Military would be repealed. President Obama and the top Pentagon brass made clear their distaste for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Polling suggests the nation has moved past it. The Democrats who control Congress, as well as some Republicans, are ready to overturn it. And last week a final potential obstacle was removed when an exhaustive Pentagon study found little risk in undoing the law. Yet with the lame-duck se...

Congressional calendar endangers repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell'
Source: The Washington Post This was supposed to be the year that the law banning gays from serving openly in the Military would be repealed. President Obama and the top Pentagon brass made clear their distaste for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Polling suggests the nation has moved past it. The Democrats who control Congress, as well as some Republicans, are ready to overturn it. And last week a final potential obstacle was removed when an exhaustive Pentagon study found little risk in undoing the la...

Congressional calendar endangers repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell'
This was supposed to be the year that the law banning gays from serving openly in the Military would be repealed. President Obama and the top Pentagon brass made clear their distaste for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Polling suggests the nation has moved past it. The Democrats who control Congress, as well as some Republicans, are ready to overturn it. And last week a final potential obstacle was removed when an exhaustive Pentagon study found little risk in undoing the law. This Story C...

Robert Gates Doubts Military's Gay Ban Will Be Lifted This Year
Defense Secretary Robert Gates is doubtful that Congress will overturn the ban on gays serving openly in the Armed Forces during the current Lame Duck session. If so, that means the issue would spill over to next year when Republicans, who are generally less sympathetic to Repeal, will control the U.S. House and have a stronger hand in the Senate. Gates, who is in Afghanistan for an assessment of the War Effort, said Monday, "I'm not particularly optimistic that they're going to get this done." ...

Will 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Get a Vote This Year?
WASHINGTON (Dec. 4) -- After nearly a year of speeches, hearings, surveys, report writing and yet more hearings, time is running out for the forces that want to Repeal the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Depending on whom you ask, there are now enough votes in the Senate to head off a Republican Filibuster and end the 17-year policy that keeps gay and Lesbian service members in the closet. Or maybe there aren't. Republicans say it doesn't matter how you count the votes: There are more...

Gates says Congress appears unlikely to repeal 'don't ask, don't tell' this year
Reporting from Muscat, Oman — Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Monday he was doubtful that Congress would Repeal the law that bans Homosexuals from serving openly in the Armed Forces before lawmakers adjourn for the year. Gates' comments were the first acknowledgement since he called for action at Senate hearings last week that the Obama Administration's effort to Repeal the law this year, while the Democrats still control both the House and Senate, could fall short. "I'd have to ...

Military chaplains debate their role without 'don't ask, don't tell'
Click to watch video As Congress Debates the Repeal of the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, Military chaplains are doing their own soul-searching. About 3,000 chaplains currently serve in the military, endorsed by a multitude of faiths, including Christian, Evangelical Protestant, Jewish and Muslim denominations. It's a unique culture where chaplains of various beliefs serve alongside one another counseling and caring for an equally diverse congregation ...

Army, Marine chiefs cast doubt on gay service (AP)
WASHINGTON – The top uniformed Army and Marines generals told a Senate panel Friday that letting Gays serve openly in the Military during wartime would be divisive and difficult, opposition that could undercut President Barack Obama's push to Repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban. The generals' doubts about the White House effort gave political ammunition to Arizona Sen. John McCain and other Senate Republicans trying to block Democratic efforts to overturn the 1993 law prohibiting gays...

Discharged Marine: Ive Been There, A DADT Repeal Will Work
The first Marine ever investigated and discharged under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy says he knows from personal experience, a Repeal "will work." Former U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Justin Elzie tells Fox News, that when he was discharged in 1993, "It was almost like having my identity taken away from me, after dedicating so many years to the Marine Corps." Elzie was also the first service member to legally fight his discharge and win-- temporarily that is. He served as an Openly Gay marine...

The Snow Queens Trap
Hoocoodanode: This was supposed to be the year that the law banning gays from serving openly in the Military would be repealed. President Obama and the top Pentagon brass made clear their distaste for “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Polling suggests the nation has moved past it. The Democrats who control Congress, as well as some Republicans, are ready to overturn it. And last week a final potential obstacle was removed when an exhaustive Pentagon study found little risk in un...

Repeal of 'don't ask' is far from certain
This was supposed to be the year that the law banning gays from serving openly in the Military would be repealed. President Obama and the top Pentagon brass made clear their distaste for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Polling suggests the nation has moved past it. The Democrats who control Congress, as well as some Republicans, are ready to overturn it. And last week a final potential obstacle was removed when an exhaustive Pentagon study found little risk in undoing the law. Yet with the...