The Senate, unsurprisingly, failed to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". Thanks to a broken political system that allows one person to deny equal rights to millions of Americans, discrimination against gays and lesbians from serving openly in the US Armed Forces is still law.
The legislative process was the best option to create a permanent solution to this bigotry. An Executive Order would last only as long as the the first future president who decided to rescind it. And a judicial solution could be appealed or create the "activist judiciary" bull the GOP spews on a regular basis.
But now that the Senate has failed, it is time for President Obama to engage both of these options.
He should, as soon as possible, issue an Executive Order overturning "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". He should, as soon as possible, tell the Department of Justice to stop holding back a judicial solution to this problem.
If the GOP wants to be the party of bigotry, if the Senate wants to be weak-kneed...fine. Be that way. But unlike taxes or treaties, here is an issue that the President can solve on his own.
You tried to do the best thing for the right reasons, President Obama. Now it is time to do the right thing for the best reasons.