NOM Lies about DOMA and the Defense Authorization Bill

NOM lies... Well, y'all knew that. But check out their latest bit of foolishness

That's not true, it's a lie (I'm using my best Christina Crawford voice). Washington Blade shed some light  on the matter:

Fred Sainz, vice president of communications for the Human Rights Campaign, said his organization has no knowledge of any intention to amend the defense bill with DOMA repeal. The largest LGBT organization, HRC is responsible for lobbying on Capitol Hill and would likely be looped in on any such plans.

Sainz said the mailing is a “red herring” and an attempt to trick NOM’s supporters into thinking the organization is working on something after suffering a series of defeats.

Among the recent failures, Sainz said, is the legalization of marriage equality in New York and high-level court decisions against NOM on the non-disclosure of their donors.

“Their members and their donors are, obviously, upset at their very poor performance,” Sainz said. “NOM needs to give them a red herring that equals hope or shows that they are working on something no matter how big of a lie it is. They’re trying to raise money with this is what they’re trying to do. They are trying to give the sense that something is going on when this is not something that is in the works.”

 See? NOM lies.

House approves Anti-Gay Amendment in the Defense budget

Sexy isn't she

Yesterday, Rep. Virginia Foxx put up an anti-gay amendment in the Defense Department budget:

Republican Rep. Virginia Foxx, who represent’s North Carolina’s Fifth Congressional District, attached her amendment to the Department of Defense’s budget for the 2012 fiscal year. The amendment requires enforcement of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and bans any use of funds for “benefits, such as housing, education, medical services, transportation, etc., for same-sex couples on the same basis as opposite-sex married couples,” 

The bill passed 248-175. This will probably fail in Senate and die with the end of DOMA. Still, it is unbelievable this horrid woman was able to do this. Virginia is playing a bad hand and she will pay for this mess. But the shocker is the number of Dems who supported the She-Crow's efforts (via The New Civil Rights Movement):

Reps. Jason Altmire (D-​Pa.), John Barrow (D-​Ga.), Sanford Bishop (D-​Ga.), Dan Boren (D-​Okla.), Ben Chandler (D-​Ky.), Jerry Costello (D-​Ill.), Mark Critz (D-​Pa.), Henry Cuellar (D-​Texas), Joe Donnelly (D-​Ind.), Gene Green (D-​Texas), Tim Holden (D-​Pa.), Larry Kissell (D-N.C.), Dan Lipinski (D-​Ill.), Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.), James Matheson (D-​Utah), Collin Peterson (D-​Minn.), Nich Rahall (D-W.V.), Mike Ross (D-​Ark.) and Heath Shuler (D-N.C.).

Keep these cretins in mind, y'all. They need to be held accountable for supporting this Tramp. They should be back in office.

President Obama is committed on keeping DADT repeal in the National Defense Authorization Act

Things are looking up for DADT staying in the National Defense Authorization Act. Metro Weekly reports that President Obama is committed in keeping DADT repeal in the NDAA.

This afternoon, White House spokesman Shin Inouye told Metro Weekly that President Obama had spoken with one of the Senate leaders of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal -- Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) -- about the provision's inclusion in the National Defense Authorization Act.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs had, earlier in the day, told The Advocate's Kerry Eleveld at the press briefing that passage of the NDAA, with DADT repeal, in the lame-duck session of Congress is "in the same category" as passage of the START nuclear treaty and the extension of the middle-class tax cuts.

Inouye wrote, "Today, President Obama called Chairman Levin to reiterate his commitment on keeping the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' in the National Defense Authorization Act, and the need for the Senate to pass this legislation during the lame duck."

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OutServe and Knights Out supports a Defense Bill with or without the DADT Repeal

Interesting turn of events. 2 strong gay rights military groups release a statement about the defense bill moving forward with or without the repeal of DADT.

From Politico

“On behalf of the more than 1,000 active duty gay and lesbian service members and 500 gay and lesbian veterans we represent, we respectfully urge Congress to pass the FY 2011 National Defense Authorization Act to fund the aircraft, weapons, combat vehicles, ammunition and promised pay-raises for all troops, whether or not the repeal of don't ask, don't tell is included,” the statement will say. “To be clear, we will continue to fight for our integrity as gay and lesbian service members and we hope that legislative action in Congress can be taken in 2010 to lift the ban.”

more to come

Don't Fret! DADT is still on the NDAA Table

All day, folks have been talking about the fear of DADT being removed from the National Defense Authorization Act. Well, Metro Weekly has a hopeful spin on that info:

In the past 24 hours, several media outlets have reported on the possibility of a version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) moving forward in the Senate with the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal provision stripped from it – discussions the leadership at the Human Rights Campaign struck back at today as "background noise" that does not have the support of Democratic leaders in the Senate.

[UPDATE @ 7:25 PM: Dan Pfeiffer, White House communications director, said in a statement on Monday evening, "The White House opposes any effort to strip 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' from the National Defense Authorization Act."]

Good news! I hope this stand.

DADT Cloture Vote is a NO GO! Senate 56-43

Well, you see the title; the vote failed. The Senate rejected the debate of the Defense Authorization Bill.

Harry Reid had to vote "No" in order to bring the bill back on the floor

I will have more this soon

Question of the Day: DADT Edition

So how do you think the DADT vote going to go down?

Sen. Olympia Snowe wants to Review the DADT survey results before voting

Sen. Olympia Snowe wants proof, not Lady Gaga. Today, she sent a official statement, laying down her stance of the DADT repeal.

Snowe Statement on Defense Authorization Bill

September 20, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) released the following statement regarding tomorrow’s procedural vote on the Defense authorization bill and the majority’s intention to limit the number of amendments considered:

“First and foremost, the Senate should have the ability to debate more than the three amendments the Majority Leader is allowing, especially as this bill is the largest discretionary authorization measure that Congress considers, that the bill describes the policies and programs that provide resources and direction to the nearly 2.4 million men and women of the military – active, reserve and civilians, including the courageous Americans serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that two of the three amendments don’t even relate to the military. It is therefore imperative that Senate deliberations on the defense bill be conducted without limitations and in a manner that allows for the consideration of all related amendments that Senators may wish to offer.

“Moreover, as I have previously stated, given that the law implementing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy has been in place for nearly 17 years, I agree that it is overdue for a thorough review. The question is, whether we should be voting on this issue before we have the benefit of the comprehensive review that President Obama’s Secretary of Defense ordered in March, to secure the input of our men and women in uniform during this time of war – as the Joint Chiefs of Staff from all of the services have requested prior to any vote. We should all have the opportunity to review that report which is to be completed on December 1, as we reevaluate this policy and the implementation of any new changes.”

So she wants to see the results of the DADT survey. I hate to say this, but that could be the reason for a hold up in tomorrow's vote.

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