How to Bury a Law: DADT

The Senate voted Saturday to repeal the ban on gays in the military, marking a major victory for gay rights and an impending end to the 17-year old "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

The bill now heads to President Barack Obama, who plans to sign it into law, overturning what repeal advocates believed was a discriminatory policy that has unfairly ended the careers of thousands of gay members of the military.

[...]

With support from all but one member of the Democratic Caucus and help from six Republicans, the stand-alone bill overcame the 60-vote threshold required to move forward.

The Republican senators who voted yes with the Democrats in the cloture vote were Mark Kirk of Illinois, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, George Voinovich of Ohio, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, both of Maine.

Sens. Richard Burr of North Carolina and John Ensign of Nevada joined the six other Republicans in bucking their party on the historic final vote.

[...]

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who previously stated his opposition to the repeal, was the only Democrat to miss the vote, because of a family “holiday gathering,” his spokeswoman said.

  Politico

Yeah, right. Way to man up, Manchin.

“By ending 'don’t ask, don’t tell,' no longer will our nation be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans forced to leave the military, despite years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay,” Obama said in a statement. “And no longer will many thousands more be asked to live a lie in order to serve the country they love.”

I would say, “About damned time,” but what this actually accomplishes is the ability for the military to continue dawdling.

Obama, Gates and Mullen would have to certify to Congress that they have reviewed the Pentagon report on the impacts of repeal, that the Defense Department is prepared to implement repeal and that doing so would not harm military readiness, troop morale, and recruiting and retention.

The policy would be repealed 60 days after the president submits the document.

"It is, therefore, important that our men and women in uniform understand that while today's historic vote means that this policy will change, the implementation and certification process will take an additional period of time,” Gates said in a statement. “In the meantime, the current law and policy will remain in effect.

In other words - indefinitely.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.