Sunday opinion, the "America, the beautiful" edition. DADT is repealed, the public is way ahead of the Congress, and Republicans would rather discriminate against brown people and concentrate on economic wedge issues than help Americans move forward.
NY Times:
The vote put Congress at the brink of a historic moment that some equated with the decision to end racial segregation in the military. It followed a review by the Pentagon that found little concern in the military about ending the ban and that was backed by Pentagon officials as a better alternative to a court-ordered end.
Backers of the repeal said it was long past time to end what they saw as a discriminatory practice that cost valuable personnel and forced troops to lie to serve their country.
"I don’t care who you love," Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat of Oregon, said as the debate opened. "If you love this country enough to risk your life for it, you shouldn’t have to hide who you are."
Mr. Wyden showed up for the Senate vote despite saying on Friday that he would be unable to do so because he would be undergoing final tests before his scheduled surgery for prostate cancer on Monday.
See also rec diaries by Clarknt67, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and TomP.
WaPo:
Even if the bill is passed this weekend, the ban on gays in the military does not end immediately, and military officials and activists continue to warn that gay men and lesbians serving in uniform should not make public declarations of their sexual orientation until the law is officially repealed.
According to the legislation, the issue would rest entirely with President Obama and top military leaders.
Jonathan Capehart:
At 11:49 a.m., the United States Senate voted 63-33 to to end debate on the repeal "don't ask, don't tell," the discriminatory ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military. The final vote (only 51 votes needed for passage) is expected to take place at 3 p.m. today, but there is no doubt this is already a victory. A victory for the Pentagon, which needs every able and valiant body to serve and protect this nation and its interests. A victory for the American people, who once again have shown the capacity to right a grievous wrong that ran counter to their fundamental sense of fairness. More importantly, this is a victory for servicemembers serving in silence.
Jordan Sekulow:
The outdated, unworkable "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law will likely be repealed in the next few days. As a Christian conservative broadcaster, attorney, and activist who recently discussed DADT and my opinion about it on-air, I can say that for the most part, social conservatives are not enraged about the end of DADT. In fact, the grassroots has not been engaged on this issue for a long time.
NY Times:
Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand said Saturday that she and other sponsors of a stalled 9/11 health bill had won new Republican support for the measure and intended to try again to pass it before the end of the 111th Congress.
Following the Senate’s vote to repeal the ban on gays serving in the military, Ms. Gillibrand, Democrat of New York, said Democrats intended to resurrect the health initiative in the coming days after falling three votes short of breaking a filibuster against it earlier this month.
Frank Rich:
The notion that civility and nominal bipartisanship would accomplish any of the heavy lifting required to rebuild America is childish magical thinking, and, worse, a mindless distraction from the real work before the nation. Sure, it would be swell if rhetorical peace broke out in Washington — or on cable news networks — but given that American politics have been rancorous since Boston’s original Tea Party, wishing will not make it so. Bipartisanship is equally extinct — as made all too evident this month by the pathetic fate of the much-hyped Simpson-Bowles deficit commission. Less than a week after the panel released its recommendations, the Democratic president and the Republican Congressional leadership both signed off on a tax-cut package that made a mockery of all its proposals by adding another $858 billion to the deficit. Even the Iraq Study Group — Washington’s last stab at delegating tough choices to a blue-ribbon bipartisan commission — enjoyed a slightly longer shelf life before its recommendations were unceremoniously dumped into the garbage.
WaPo:
The irony of the DREAM Act's failure is that it had strong bipartisan support at the start of the administration, and advocates thought it could generate momentum for more policy changes.
But as the country's mood shifted on illegal immigration, support among Republicans and some Democratic senators evaporated, with many decrying it as backdoor amnesty for lawbreakers.
This is part of the GOP's Just Say No strategy, the same strategy that brought us a kick in the face to 9/11 responders. The GOP bears responsibility. Hear that, media? The "flawed strategy" was trusting Republicans to do the right thing.