Asking And Telling, But...

Even with the Senate voting to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" I am still sour. Maybe I'm mad because I was wrong in thinking it wasn't going to pass. Maybe I'm just naturally a Grinch. But look at this chain of events. Last week the Republicans in the Senate (with one exception) refused to allow a vote on a military spending bill because it included the DADT repeal provision. Today, six Republicans voted to allow a stand-alone DADT bill to proceed, and then two more joined them in voting for the bill.

Am I to believe that these Republicans just magically changed their minds in a week? And two of them changed their minds just today within a couple of hours? Or that they suddenly found a dose of courage to stand up to the extreme right-wing (not to mention the increasingly despicable and/or senile John McCain)? If they were so inclined, why did they hold up the military spending bill?

So yeah, I'm happy that DADT has been repealed and, assuming President Obama and the secretary of defense actually successfully handle the technical process spelled out in the bill to implement this new policy, openly gay people who love their country can serve in the military. But even so, I'm as disgusted as ever. The process of getting laws passed in this country is seriously fucked up. Just look at the other bills being passed or not passed this month -- the tax giveaways to the wealthy, the DREAM act. So much needs to be done and it's not happening. And it will only get worse next month.

These politicians are just playing games while the rest of us suffer.