After a morning of testimony from top Marine Corps, Army and Air Force officers who said Congress should not scrap the "Don’t ask, don’t tell" policy in the near-term, John McCain says he might block the bill.
After hearing testimony from the service chiefs, who said repealing the ban now would add more stress to troops during a time of war, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) suggested he could move to prevent floor debate on the 2011 defense authorization bill, which contains the repeal provision.
McCain expressed confidence that the rest of the Republican conference would join him because repealing the ban is not a "compelling" issue at a time when the military is fighting two wars and the U.S. economy is "in the tank." All Senate Republicans have pledged to block consideration of any bill that does not address extending current tax rates or funding the federal government.
His confidence might be misplaced. Here's a statement from Scott Brown, via Greg Sargent.
"I have been in the military for 31 years and counting, and have served as a subordinate and as an officer. As a legislator, I have spent a significant amount of time on military issues. During my time of service, I have visited our injured troops at Walter Reed and have attended funerals of our fallen heroes. When a soldier answers the call to serve, and risks life or limb, it has never mattered to me whether they are gay or straight. My only concern has been whether their service and sacrifice is with pride and honor.
"I pledged to keep an open mind about the present policy on Don't Ask Don't Tell. Having reviewed the Pentagon report, having spoken to active and retired military service members, and having discussed the matter privately with Defense Secretary Gates and others, I accept the findings of the report and support repeal based on the Secretary's recommendations that repeal will be implemented only when the battle effectiveness of the forces is assured and proper preparations have been completed."
The question, of course, is whether Brown will keep his promise made by signing on to the McConnell gridlock letter. So Brown would have to buck his leadership, and be joined by at least one other Republican, to thwart McCain should the grump decide to block the vote.
As for the testimony of these opponents to immediate repeal, Sargent has a smart post, calling for "nuance."
It's being widely reported right now that at the Senate hearings this morning, the Service Chiefs issued very stark warnings against repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell. And it's true that Army Chief of Staff George Casey and U.S. Marine Corps Commandant James Amos did say negative things about repealing DADT immediately.
But come on, let's have some nuance here. What's missing from the discussion is that these same men also said that in an overall sense they do in fact favor repealing DADT. And more crucially, under subsequent questioning, they said they found it reassuring that the current repeal proposal gives Defense Secretary Robert Gates the leeway to implement repeal on a flexible timeline that would work for them.
Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, or a court decision overturning it, is inevitable, regardless of how hard John McCain shakes his fist at the clouds.
(See clarknt67's recommended diary for more DADT discussion.)
Update: Our great bipartisan hope, Susan Collins says she supports repeal, too, but not "until the tax issue is resolved."
Update 2: Reid's spokesperson responds to McCain:
"Senator McCain has been so all over the map on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ that we need an atlas to keep track of his positions. Now he’s telling us he won’t do what our military leadership has urged Congress to do because of the economy? If Senator McCain truly cared about the economy, he could start by getting his Republican colleagues to stop holding middle class tax cuts hostage to giveaways for millionaires and CEOs.
"Defense Secretary Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Mullen have told us that repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ immediately is the right thing to do for our military. Democrats will listen to their opinions, not Senator McCain’s constantly-changing reasons."