FINAL VOTE TO REPEAL
DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL
65 to 31
**********
That is better than a 2 to 1 majority. WOW !!! What an amazing turn-around.
Yes, it does not go into effect immediately. First, both Secretary Gates and President Obama have to certify that the military is ready for the change. Then Congress has 60 days to . . . what?
I'm not quite sure what they have the power to do at that point. It's probably primarily a face-saving strategy, as is the certification. Nevertheless, it means that gay and lesbian service persons need to stay closeted for a little while longer. Although I seriously doubt there will be any discharges processed from now on.
Now, what about Obama's strategy? He could have ended it by executive order, or at least ended enforcement of it, from day one of his presidency. He chose not to, and I have come to agree that this was the wisest course.
Here's what happened instead. He ordered the extensive survey, which showed that the majority of the military and their spouses say that letting gays serve openly will cause little or no problem. A large majority in another poll said that they had knowingly served with a gay person at some point in the past -- and the majority of them found no problem with that.
Consider what a difference this made in the deliberations, particularly in the Senate, which held hearings and its vote after the report came out. Also consider that Obama had the support of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Secretary of Defense, Gen. Petraeus, Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Colin Powell. Would they have all been as actively supportive if Obama had ended it with an executive order?
Waiting for the December 1st report also gave more time for getting politicians used to the idea that it might not hurt them with voters. As more and more individual congressmen began to express support, it encouraged others to do so.
In the end, it was clear that there was a consensus building that this was the right thing to do, and that it can be done. This is an example of the approach Obama brought to the office and what he has been trying to do in other areas as well. It hasn't always worked, often has not; and there are some issues he would have done well not even to try it. But this time, it worked.
What would likely have happened if he had "fought harder for it" with Congress is that it would have hardened resistance. It would have been defeated. And then we would have a court decision that would have imposed the change on an unprepared military instead of giving the military time to decide it was the right thing to do, with all the rancor of "activist judges" and claims that civilians just don't understand what it's like on the battlefield, etc. Much better to have the main meme be that the rank and file troops support it, and even those who don't will adapt -- or they can just leave, according to Gen. Petraeus.
Here is one time, at least, when I am convinced that Obama's way was the right way.
Ralph
PS: A few days ago, a headline framed the Senate vote as a replay of Obama vs McNothing. We know how that turned out. McNothing's opposition was about as effective as a wet noodle before the invention of Viagra.
I think I'll have to change my most-favorite headline to "John McNothing is dead."
Yes, it does not go into effect immediately. First, both Secretary Gates and President Obama have to certify that the military is ready for the change. Then Congress has 60 days to . . . what?
I'm not quite sure what they have the power to do at that point. It's probably primarily a face-saving strategy, as is the certification. Nevertheless, it means that gay and lesbian service persons need to stay closeted for a little while longer. Although I seriously doubt there will be any discharges processed from now on.
Now, what about Obama's strategy? He could have ended it by executive order, or at least ended enforcement of it, from day one of his presidency. He chose not to, and I have come to agree that this was the wisest course.
Here's what happened instead. He ordered the extensive survey, which showed that the majority of the military and their spouses say that letting gays serve openly will cause little or no problem. A large majority in another poll said that they had knowingly served with a gay person at some point in the past -- and the majority of them found no problem with that.
Consider what a difference this made in the deliberations, particularly in the Senate, which held hearings and its vote after the report came out. Also consider that Obama had the support of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Secretary of Defense, Gen. Petraeus, Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Colin Powell. Would they have all been as actively supportive if Obama had ended it with an executive order?
Waiting for the December 1st report also gave more time for getting politicians used to the idea that it might not hurt them with voters. As more and more individual congressmen began to express support, it encouraged others to do so.
In the end, it was clear that there was a consensus building that this was the right thing to do, and that it can be done. This is an example of the approach Obama brought to the office and what he has been trying to do in other areas as well. It hasn't always worked, often has not; and there are some issues he would have done well not even to try it. But this time, it worked.
What would likely have happened if he had "fought harder for it" with Congress is that it would have hardened resistance. It would have been defeated. And then we would have a court decision that would have imposed the change on an unprepared military instead of giving the military time to decide it was the right thing to do, with all the rancor of "activist judges" and claims that civilians just don't understand what it's like on the battlefield, etc. Much better to have the main meme be that the rank and file troops support it, and even those who don't will adapt -- or they can just leave, according to Gen. Petraeus.
Here is one time, at least, when I am convinced that Obama's way was the right way.
Ralph
PS: A few days ago, a headline framed the Senate vote as a replay of Obama vs McNothing. We know how that turned out. McNothing's opposition was about as effective as a wet noodle before the invention of Viagra.
I think I'll have to change my most-favorite headline to "John McNothing is dead."
CSPAN live feed was down at the time of the final vote, so I don't yet know who the other two Republicans were who changed from "no" to "yes" between the cloture vote and the final vote.
ReplyDeleteThe five who voted yes in the earlier vote were: Collins and Snowe form Maine, Scott Brown form MA, Murkowski of Alaska, and Voinovich from Illinois.
Here's what Jason Linkins, an ardent opponent of DADT, wrote on his HuffingtonPost blog:
ReplyDelete"Because the administration wanted to end the policy in the most enduring way possible, President Obama wanted Congress to bring the matter to a close. This rankled many people -- like me! -- who would have liked the policy done away with by the imperial stroke of his pen. But the President is right -- whatever immediacy you'd gain by dispensing with the policy by executive order comes at a cost: the permanence provided by legislative action."
The other two senators who switched to a yes vote are:
ReplyDeleteSens. John Ensign (R-Nev.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.)
This means 15% of the Republican who voted, voted for repeal.
So now we have a solid bipartisan repeal that, as Jason Linkins says (above), will have "the permanence provided by legislative action."
The official roll call vote has now been posted on the Senate web site:
ReplyDeleteVoting yes: 55 Democrats, 2 Independents, and 8 Republicans
Voting no: 31 Republicans
Not voting: 3 Republicans and 1 Democrat
So, recalibrating: Of Republicans voting, 20.5% voted yes.
This is a huge bipartisan win. It should also be a boost for the small band of moderate Republicans, an endangered species.
I'm beginning to think of Obama as a Congressman. His approach to the Presidency makes more sense to me looking at him that way. Like Richard, in my soul I long for a powerful and persuasive Liberal President who uses the power he's been given "liberally." In my rational mind, I think restoring Congress after the Bush years is a good thing and Obama is doing his best to "community build" our Congress. But in my eight grade Civics mind, I think the Courts should've thrown out DADT shortly after it was passed.
ReplyDeleteBut, there are many roads to Rome.
People = 70%
House = 58%
Senate = 64%
Congratulations!