Repealing DADT: Long overdue and politically brilliant

Congress is finally stepping up to vote on repealing the controversial Clinton-era policy called “Don’t Ask, Don’t tell.” And the spin that corporate media puts on it: Oh, it’s controversial. It’s risky. It’s dangerous for moderate Republicans.

First off, shut up!

Second, Congress is there to legislate supposedly with their conscience and not in fear of narrow-minded constituents.

Third, It’s the right thing to do, not just for the sake of respecting all our military members, but in terms of ending this nation’s many lingering Civil Rights issues.

And finally, it’s a blatantly false premise. It’s not risky. It’s not controversial. In fact, in a recent poll, 78 percent of folks polled want the policy repealed. There is no other issue facing Congress that has more support.

It is also smart politics. It will once again illuminate the core differences between the party: The most important being Republican bigotry.

Rep. Gohmert compares gays to beastiality and Hitler

Right now, Sen. John McCain, once the Republican Party’s best chance at reclaiming the White House due to his supposedly moderate stance on social issues is threatening to filibuster against repealing “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”

Two years ago, he would never have done this, especially considering the Generals actually support allowing gays to serve openly in the Armed Forces. But the GOP has veered so dangerously right that even the so-called maverick is now aligning himself with the far right fringe of the party. Roll Call is reporting that McCain said he would “without a doubt” support a filibuster if the bill goes to the floor with repeal language.

“I’ll do everything in my power,” the Arizona Republican said. “I’m going to do everything I can to support the men and women of the military and to fight what is clearly a political agenda.”

In the past, McCain said he would support repealing DADT if military leaders supported. Well, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen have already said they support repealing it. Within his own family, his wife and daughter both support it.

Clearly, McCain is caving in to the bigoted voting bloc of the GOP, which has effectively hijacked the party. He’s afraid of losing a primary to a tea party candidate and has decided to throw gays under the bus to get elected. But it should not be that surprising, as he just recently did the same thing to Latino voters. His 180 degree about-face on immigration reform and his sudden outrage about the vulnerability of the Arizona border, has been, in a word, shocking.

But the fact is, most Republicans will likely oppose repeal. They will stand on the Senate floor and devise some ridiculous excuses, citing the “politicization of the military.” Some might even claim that gay soldiers pose a threat to our military.

This will do one thing for most Americans: It will clearly illustrate just how out of touch the GOP is. And that’s a good thing for Democrats.

The Democrats’ biggest obstacle in the last few years has been the party’s inability to govern. They simply are not as good with the politics as Republicans. They have been in the minority so long that they have had to re-learn how to lead. During the last year and a half, they have in fact at times been unable to really distinguish themselves in a principled manner from the GOP.

Democratic voters have been underwhelmed by the rate and pace of “change.” That’s why they stayed home during the midterms. That’s why so many Democrats in Congress are vulnerable in the next midterms.

Don’t Ask Don’t Tell will paint a very clear picture of the ideological differences between the two parties. And Republican opposition will further alienate the GOP from just about every reasonable-minded person in this country.

With all the tea party and conservative movement hype the mainstream media pumps through the airwaves, they are ignoring a few realities. Immigration down in Arizona is pushing Hispanic voters to the Democratic party. Gay rights will further alienate young and gay voters from the Republican party. Republican party identification is as low as it has ever been. ABC/WaPo reported the number of Republicans as 21 percent, CBS/NYT at 20 percent, NBC/WSJ also at 20 percent (not counting “leaners”), and Pew at 22 percent.

 The party of no, the party of no clue and the party of nobody!

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