I’m heartbroken .

I hope the 15 democrats who voted against this bill sleep well tonight…NOT !!!

that would be 2 democrats, 40 Republicans (Reid’s vote is for procedural reasons)

I’m really hoping Reid has some kind of back-up plan here, but it doesn’t sound like it.

Let’s just say he’s not going down in history as one of the Senate’s legislative geniuses.

Let’s just say he’s not going down in history as one of the Senate’s legislative geniuses.

Shocking, isn’t it? The Dems should have made their new slogan that Timmy Kaine is all excited about…

“Democrats – Pretending to Matter”

Durbin said that “As long as I can stand behind this desk… I will be pushing for this DREAM Act. I hope that 11 Republicans will stop cowering in the shadows.” Reid added that “We’re going to vote on the DREAM act, it’s only a question of when.”

Repeat after me:
“I hope that Republicans will stop cowering.”
“I hope that Republicans will stop cowering.”
“I hope that Republicans will stop cowering.”
“I hope that Republicans will stop cowering.”
“I hope that Republicans will stop cowering.”
“I hope that Republicans will stop cowering…”

Repeat until you understand that the GOP is cowering. Craven.
We’re seeing these weenies now in their full, unadulterated, corporatist toadying cringing.

They imagine themselves as some kind of strategic visionaries, I suppose.
They are not.

I’m with Howard Dean: I think they’re on their last, shaking legs.
I totally ‘get’ Harry Reid’s vote as a procedural matter so that he can bring it back.

Personally, I hope he brings it back tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow…. do whatever it takes to show the inattentive public that these GOPers are have no vision, are only good at acting like syncophants to corporate power, and are not equipped to govern in a 21st century world.

I think it’s essential to keep hammering on these cowards.
Day, after day, after day, after day.

Who are they going to call for help? Christine O’Donnell? Rush Limbaugh?
Show me any 20-or-30-something who thinks what the GOP is pulling at this moment offers a particle of hope for their futures. I have yet to meet anyone born between 1980 and 1995 who has even the slightest respect for the shit going on in D.C.

The GOP is committing political suicide.
I’m actually really somewhat surprised that you can’t recognize what’s happening.

Pls excuse this possibly stupid question:
could Obama repeal DADT as Commander-in-Chief?

The Defense Department specifically includes the DREAM Act as an important component of meeting the goals of an all-volunteer force.

Apparently the Nopers are willing to divorce their favorite bedfellows over teh gay.

Since it is enshrined in law, no he can’t “repeal” the law.

But he can stop enforcing it.

Thx. Another leadership fail…

Heartfelt sympathy to those hoping for DREAM to give them a path to citizenship, and hoping that it will pass as a separate measure.

That said, hoping to see EVERY Defense Authorization Bill go down the tubes until the illegal warz are ended.

The GOP is committing political suicide.
I’m actually really somewhat surprised that you can’t recognize what’s happening.

But they’re not.

The media doesn’t question the decision by the GOP. They don’t point out that it’s a complete bullshit cover story for their blatant homophobia.

The average voter born between 1980 and 1995 doesn’t spend the time looking around online to find the real story. I know, I was born in 1984. I can’t speak for all, but I can speak for most that I know.

And Reid doesn’t have the balls to bring it back. If he really had a satchel he’d refuse to let them recess to go stumping for midterms until this bill was brought to the floor and passed. He’d stand up and do the right thing. But he won’t, because he doesn’t really care enough.

They’ve gotten away with perpetuating hate. Again.

Not repeal but he can issue what is called a “stop loss” order effectively telling the military to fucking stop this bullshit now.

Which he should do….but he won’t since he has this convenient “the republicans did it” shield to hide behind now.

How did Short Ride vote?

Obama can do an executive order to stop enforcing DADT. But then the next president can reinstate it. It needs to be changed legislatively, but I’m not sure Democrats have any concept of strategy or political effectiveness.

This could have been taken care of long ago, but 0bama made the health care reform scam as a priority.

This was intentional, not an accident.

In a long series of expositions of shameful cowardice this stands among the most shameful,..

I, for one, will be looking closely at what Lincoln does after her ass is handed to her in November? Which DLC-related (or GOP-related) group will purchase what is left of her soul?

Wal Mart has had her soul on lay away for quite some time now

I agree that many people in your age category don’t go searching online to find the real story. However, the ones that I know are phenomenal at obtaining info when they want it.

As for this:

If he really had a satchel he’d refuse to let them recess to go stumping for midterms until this bill was brought to the floor and passed. He’d stand up and do the right thing.

I wholeheartedly agree with you. This is **exactly** what Reid needs to do, although his calculus is obviously going to be heavily weighted to winning his own re-election in a state with vast amounts of mortgage fraud, and quite a few Mormons into the bargain.

Yup…

And just wait to see what happens with Warren. She will never become the head of the consumer protection bureau. This temp. appointment was obviously a cowardly attempt to go the middle road and not piss off the base while simultaneously not pissing off wall street. Not piss off the base until after the mid terms that is.

he actually voted to invoke cloture – Webb is the glaringly obvious Dem problem child here

This is no different than the pantomime vote on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. First the Democrats offer the LGBT community a bone, KNOWING that it will be filibustered, in order to motivate that community to vote, then they do the same with the DREAM Act. “Act” is right.

Pretty sure my senior Senator (Webb) voted for cloture as well. I think both of Virginia Senators did.

I’ve heard three different things in the last hour though, so I’m not sure…

So the vote went the way we knew (or strongly suspected) it would, for the reasons we already knew, and the story we figured out months ago is the story that will be fed to the public. We need to work very quickly to educate voters about what just happened, or the media will provide that education.

The House of Lords is a complete charade. Pure kabuki. These people get paid way too much to accomplish absolutely nothing year in and year out. Blanche Lincoln must take great relish in stabbing the American People in the back every chance she gets.

he was uncommitted on cloture before the vote – he has also stated his opposition to DADT in the recent past. no one’s asked, but I believe the lockstep of GOP provided him cover

fyi Senator Combat Boots is also quite busy concern trolling expanded coverage of benefits for Agent Orange-related illnesses, etc as ordered by Shinseki

These people get paid way too much to accomplish absolutely nothing year in and year out.

Accomplishing nothing is precisely what they’re paid way too much to do, by the interests that are just fine with the status quo.

He’s really been quite the disappointment. I had/have no illusions as to my other Senator (Warner) as he was Governor and I knew he was DLC all the way.

I had hopes for Webb. Misguided. Again.

The Democratic Party is nothing but a show, a pretend opposition party. The sooner folks realize that truth, the better off we’ll all be.

OK, give me a job like that, too. I dabbled in witchcraft once upon a time, surely that qualifies me to be a Senator!

Only if you’re still a virgin. :)

Wow, job requirements are getting difficult, aren’t they?

Well, the bar is being lowered all the time.

I’m very sorry, but your statement contained too few spelling errors and had a kind of coherence that is simply unacceptable in the modern Congress.

Hmmm, that would be difficult to assert since my three children have already acknowledged my parenthood on Facebook. That’s sure to leave “footprints”…

You’re a completely disqualified !

Thanks. Never trusted Webb from the get go.

I’ve decided what p*sses me off most is the lack of respect for my intelligence that the Democrats have.

I think the reason I was blind to him was his clear anti-war stance. Which turns out wasn’t quite as clear as it seemed in 2006 as a candidate either.

But for some reason, that guy gave me hope and I was more eager voting for him than I was Warner in ’08. Boy was I wrong. Again. Or still.

Here’s a thought…let’s take a lesson from Madonna and send Harry Reid a half-empty bottle of stale champagne.

Amen. They really think we’re stupid.

I agree. Did they think we wouldn’t notice?

Why doesn’t Harry Reid make the GOP filibuster?

A couple of days of these cowards obstructing funds for our fighting forces in time of war — just think of the theatre the GOP would make of it if the situation was reversed!

Our side needs to learn to play hardball.

Rahm probably said “F*ck the ones who notice”.

Why doesn’t Harry Reid make the GOP filibuster?

Well, if he was serious about passing this legislation, obviously he would.

I have wondered that same thing. I am not at all sure, but I think that the Senate rules regarding the filibuster were changed…the requirement to actually stand at the mic and speak were removed, and the provisions for “secret holds” were combined into the remaining rules for the filibuster.

This is just an educated guess, based on what I’ve read and heard about the topic. Does anybody have better or more accurate information?

the requirement to actually stand at the mic and speak were removed, and the provisions for “secret holds” were combined into the remaining rules for the filibuster.

The rule is that the minority can threaten to filibuster and the majority leader can take their word for it and shelve the legislation. Harry Reid doesn’t make them filibuster because he is a Scyphozoan.

Is that anything like an amoeba?

I think there are some jellyfish out there that instill more fear in people than Reid does.

And the beat goes on and on.

Great Kabuki show: Dims can hide behind the cover that R’s so conveniently provided to them. “Gosh, folks, we tried so hard, and by the way, vote for us because somehow we still suck less than R’s.”

I confess to being a tad mystified about why the zillionaires are so against teh gheyz (as, imo, anything that happens anymore has the smell of a Koch or Murdoch or Scaife or hedgefunder Wall Streeter Bankster on it). Why they’d care about that is beyond me, but common sense flew the coop a long time ago.

Condolences (if that’s appropriate) to the LGBT community. I, for one, am truly sorry about this disgusting Kabuki show, but clearly my stupid vote counted for nothing. As I stated in an earlier thread, it would delight me if all LGBT serving “outed themselves” (their choice) immediately and then demanded that the armed forces fire them all. But that won’t happen, so… on it goes…

In all fairness, there are deadly jellyfish out there that you should be way more afraid of than Harry Reid. Ever swim downunder? You take your life in your hands.

Get what you’re saying but (no offense) not the best comparison. Just saying…

The Dems theme should be “why are the Rs more concerned about our sex lives than they are about our troops dying in 2 wars (maybe more), people jobless, people homeless, etc.”

Are progressives really all that fahred up for Dream Act? Considering, it’s basically Trojan Horse to stock the military with immigrating minorities?

Because, most of those immigrating minorities, those kids, can’t now now will later be able to afford college, so that’s just a red herring hopey changey line of bs.

This Dream Act is a giveaway to the military, to extend our military policies, and continue our abuse of the planet and other countries and their inhabitants because we want either their resources, their distribution routes and/or their drug trades with allllllllll that loose cash to fund black ops with no money trails or accountability.

So, I ask. Are proggies down with this Dream Act? And if so, why?

Heh, the Portuguese Man o’ War has more of a spine than Reid.

They want to become citizens – I guess at any cost. They are going to be excellent Americans if we can ever make this happen.

OT

From bad to worse.

To fend off claims of being anti-business, the Obama administration may replace Summers, who serves as the director of the president’s National Economic Council, with a top corporate executive, Bloomberg reports.

Thanks for the link.

Yeah, Obama’s been anti-business. That’s what his problem has been. Too damned hard on the pharm and insurance industry, really really unbearable on the military contractors, and Wall St? Yeah, he’s been anti-Wall St. too.

Where do they come up with this shit?

Not once the military is thru with them.

I’m not looking to deny practical rights and equality, I’m only looking to deny the military and the status quo cover for perpetuating itself behind the rube and ruse of citizenship.

College is OUT of the question for this group of people . . . so the military is IT.

Once in the military, it’s all over as far as any progressive minded hope is considered.

And IMHO, Dream Act is a rube and ruse to kill the DADT and the LGBT agenda. If not for Dream Act, ALL our attention and pressure would be forced on the Congress. As it is, Dream Act deters from supporting our LGBT family and friends.

Maybe I’m missing something, but this is all smoke and mirrors and the dem’s have NO intention to fight for repeal of DADT. But they’ll fight for Dream because it fills the ranks and increases the chances we can continue those policies for big ticket military issues and items and provides not only pork barrell but more importantly provides campaign donations by companies that make the war machine products.

And all that private contracting . . . . and money changing hands without a trail.

I’d hate to see where we’d be if he was “pro-business.”

Good riddance, but, of course the next one will be the same or worse.

LeSigh, indeed.

Where do they come up with this shit?

A thousand monkeys with typewriters?

I don’t know what the ratio is between gays who are “combat” troops and those considered “support” troops but ghostof911 had an idea that all gays in the military should tell and be discharged. Won’t happen but I’d like to see what the brass would do with that.

Lady Gaga, you listening?

I thought the democrats new campaign slogan was going to be “recalibrate your expectations”

http://www.prospect.org/csnc/blogs/tapped_archive?month=09&year=2010&base_name=justified_mockery

For those who follow Siun’s posts and visit Gorilla’s Guides, Mohammed ibn Laith was seriously wounded Sunday escorting Christians to Mass. Two rounds to the lower right lung and one through the fleshy part of his thigh. High velocity rounds, exited cleanly. He’ll live and might be able to be moved from ICU as early as tomorrow.

Why do you insist on allowing specualtion to trump good news?

Warren is appointed. That is good.

Summers is leaving. That is good.

What comes next we do not know. As such it is neither good nor bad.

Think I’ll copy that comment and see what your reaction is to their replacements.

I don’t think I commented good or bad on Summers leaving.

My comment “Where do they come up with this shit” was about the piece linked to and specifically the quote, which IMO is miles away from reality.

Can’t speak for the LGBT community on that one, but on paper it looks good to me!

About the same as the Talibani/Al Queda (both of them/Pashtuni cutting our supply lines in Af/Pak.

Bring the military to a grinding halt on its knees.

So, history is not a predictive indicator of present or future behavior or outcomes?

Not to mention if Greenwald is right about Warren leaving after the elections.

Had read that, it was shocking.

The war rages on, with or without us.

But we opened the gates of hell for it to do so.

Sigh.

Ayep.

Makes perfect sense knowing now how Obama operates. As is she has not one iota of authority. She sets up the agency, Obama appoints a Wall Street crony to head it up and it’s off to the races. Sure am glad I’ve never applied for a credit card.

Ask yourselves what would the Democratic Party stand for if all of the socio-cultural wedge issues got resolved to the satisfaction of progressives?

Corporate Warmongering.

Resolving these issues would find them without a constituency, and that, they will never let happen.

Sorry, my bad. I misspoke. Went to democracynow.org and listened again. I don’t think Greenwald was saying Warren would be leaving after the election, I think he was saying after the election Obama would appoint who he really wanted to head the agency.

Sorry about that.

I think SouthernDragon at 72 has it about right what Greenwald was inferring. Warren would get things started then they would appoint a Wall St. crony and it’s off to the races. I shouldn’t have misspoke about what Greenwald did and didn’t say. My bad.

Compared to my embarrassing post @1 we’ll lets just say …. wanna trade mistakes ?

eerrrrggggg .

Spot on dude .Exactly right !

Two parties , one overall agenda , doing whats good for large corporations !

LOL.

Nothing compares to my mistake about Obama though. I still can’t believe how wrong I was about him.

Okay we probably all fell for that one to some degree . LOL

I’m thinking the actual vote reflects nothing. A standalone bill even with the indicated popular support would no doubt lose many of the Dino’s that have cover on this procedural motion. Told my wife (ex labor rep) who still plans to vote this would happen. She doesn’t get it but she’s voting alone.

if that’s true, looks like Larry’s getting that corner office on K street…

Brooksly Born was also buried at the Treasury, and visciously ignored by the current crew of Obama appointees.

Goolsbee of the perfect subprime markets, and now Citigroup’s Lew for OMB , – does that sound like we’re moving in the right direction to you?

The obvious outcome here is that they just extend DADT to cover illegal immigrants too.

Huh?

Half these kids from the DREAM Act are in college right now. It’s just that they can’t put these skills to work. Careful with the “college is out of the question” insinuation about immigrants.

Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t.

But, generally speaking, humans are very poor at forecasting the future.

There is an excellent book, The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb, that addresses the question of: How do you function in a world where accurate prediction is rarely possible, where history is an unreliable guide to the future and where the most important events cannot be predicted.

.

Senate Republicans have blocked “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal from receiving a vote! But we can also get rid of this law through the courts. Tell the Justice Department: Don’t defend “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in court!

Petition link –

http://tinyurl.com/24mb6f2

emptywheel is upstairs!
Did OLC Change the Understanding of Riot Investigations to Time w/RNC Convention?

They extend DADT to immigrants, meaning they fill the ranks of the military with illegal immigrants so long as they comply with DADT regarding their illegal status.

Who is going to pay for immigrants to enjoy in-state college tuition rates — or is it going to be another unfunded mandate? The states are sure as hell not going to want to make up the difference especially when too many legal students can’t afford to go at virtually any price! (That said, I do favor disengagemnt from all current conflicts.)