GOP TeaPartiers Try Congressional Hijinks to stop DADT repeal
This GOP effort is guaranteed not to create any jobs, and will not help the economy. It’s not going to help the war on terror, it’s not going to do anything for our troops in Afghanistan, it’s not going to bring new tax revenues, it’s not going to create new wealth, or anything else like that. It’s a symbolic and spiteful gesture from children who should not be in congress.
Colorado US Senator Mark Udall on Thursday denounced a move by Republican members of the House seeking to postpone repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military policy that bars gay soldiers from serving openly. The policy was lifted by lawmakers last December, a move spearheaded by Udall, and is set to end officially this Tuesday according to a plan drawn up and followed over roughly the last year by military leaders. Yet, in a letter today, House Armed Services Committee Chair Buck McKeon and Military Personnel Subcommittee Chairman Joe Wilson asked Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to, essentially, turn in paperwork to them before allowing the repeal to take effect.
“Barry Goldwater once said, ‘You don’t have to be straight to shoot straight.’ I say it’s time for some straight talk on this issue. The Pentagon says it’s ready. Our troops say they’re ready. The American people say they’re ready. It’s time for us to get it done,” Udall, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees, said of the repeal.
“I opposed ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ when it began, and 18 years later, there’s ample evidence that the policy is harming our national security by hindering our ability to recruit and retain troops while we’re fighting two wars.