Georgia here, Director of New Media for Alexi Giannoulias in Illinois.
As I worked today, I had the CSPAN stream of the Senate debate on cloture in the background. Like you, I'm saddened and frustrated by today's vote. But at the same time, it's battles like this that galvanize us here at Alexi for Illinois headquarters.
You see, we have a chance to elect a fighter for LGBT equality who will be able to vote the right way, right away...in November.
There are two elections on November 2nd for the seat once held by President Barack Obama. The first (the special election) is to fill out the balance of Senator Burris' term during the lame duck session. The other (general) election is for the six year term.
This means that if we rally in IL-Sen, we can have a true leader for LGBT issues in the Senate right away.
Alexi knows how important it is to lead and back up words with action. That's why instead of just saying he supports the repeal of DADT, he created an advocacy site, EqualityCantWait.com, that has helped people across the country lobby Congress.
I know that if we help him win and if he becomes a Senator in November, he'll work to make sure that LGBT issues -- the civil rights movement of our time -- aren't back burner issues.
His opponent, Republican Congressman Mark Kirk, has already come out against repealing DADT until he sees "the report," which means that if he wins, there will be another vote in favor of DADT should it come up again in the fall.
Alexi has pledged not only to keep pushing for immediate repeal, but he also stresses the urgent need for filibuster reform.
Here's Alexi's statement:
Today's vote against the repeal of the military’s discriminatory "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy underscores two tragic realities: the Senate has chosen to leave enshrined an immoral and ineffective policy, and it has done so on the back of a broken system in dire need of institutional reform.
DADT is an ill-conceived policy that defies logic and hurts our national security. We don't need a report to tell us that the unequal status of LGBT servicemembers sanctioned by current law conflicts with the Constitution and the character of our nation.
Today, a majority of Senators voted in favor of repealing DADT. Yet, because of the abuse of the filibuster, that majority fell short in its quest to grant each and every American the equality they deserve.
My race is a unique one, in that if the people of Illinois choose me to be their Senator, I will be able to fight for both the repeal of DADT and for fair filibuster reform this November.
I intend to win this race, and I intend to fight from day one for the immediate repeal of DADT so that we may finally grant our brave heroes the dignity and honor they all deserve.
You can sign up to volunteer with our campaign here:
http://alexiforillinois.com/...
P.S. Here are some pictures of our supporters at the Chicago Pride Parade, who discussed the issues with Alexi:
Polls have this critical race in a dead heat. You have a chance to help us turn out voters and elect an LGBT champion to the Senate. Volunteer today!