DADT: Murkowski, update from HRC, and Maddow & the Daily Show take down McCain

Tony Wagner of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), who was in Alaska last week, reports that,

[H]undreds of HRC members and repeal supporters have emailed and phoned Sen. Murkowski in the past 10 days lobbying her to do the right thing on this issue (and I delivered nearly 250 petition signatures on Monday).

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the White House are both making it clear that DADT needs to be acted on during the lame duck session of Congress. (See press release from HRC below.)

That doesn't mean it's time to ease off. In fact, comments made last night by Sen. Murkowski to MSNBC's Chris Hayes show it's still important to keep the pressure up on Sen. Murkowski:



So if you haven't done so already, please give Sen. Murkowski a call, and let Sen. Begich also know we're also counting on him. Tell them:

“Hi, my name’s [NAME] and I live in [TOWN]. I support all our servicemembers and they deserve to have the National Defense Authorization Act passed this year with funding for our troops, pay increases and the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell included. I urge Sen. Murkowski/Sen. Begich to vote for cloture and final passage of this bill.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski
202-224-6665 (DC)
877-829-6030 (toll free)

Sen. Mark Begich
202-224-3004 (DC)
877-501-6275 (toll free)

Additionally, for those who have previously taken action, HRC is asking them to write letters to the editor:

Please write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper today and urge Sen. Murkowski to vote to proceed with and pass the NDAA. Our online tools make it easy to send your letter to the editor, so click here to get started!

The NDAA also provides many appropriations near and dear to Alaskans' hearts. Things such as a $10.2 billion allocation for Missile Defense programs is important to many Alaskans – as is troop pay raises, funding for IED countermeasures and mine resistant/better armored vehicles. Alaskans know funding these programs saves the lives of all our soldiers.

Writing a letter to your local newspaper is a great way to make sure that Sen. Murkowski and others in your community know that there’s strong support for the bill. Don’t wait any longer – click here to start RIGHT NOW!

Here's yesterday's press release from the Human Rights Campaign on Don't Ask Don't Tell:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 17, 2010
HRC: Fred Sainz | fred.sainz@hrc.org | Phone: 202-716-1651
SLDN: Trevor Thomas | trevor@sldn.org | Phone: 616-430-2030
CAP Action Fund: Winnie Stachelberg | wstachelberg@americanprogress.org | Phone: 202-481-7152

Senate Majority Leader and White House Reaffirm Commitment
to DADT Repeal in Defense Authorization Bill This Year

WASHINGTON – Key Senate leadership and Administration officials this evening met with representatives of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), and the Center for American Progress Action Fund (CAPAF). The officials told the groups that Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama are committed to moving forward on repeal by bringing the National Defense Authorization Act – the bill to which “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal is attached – to the floor in the lame duck session after the Thanksgiving recess. Further the Majority Leader and the President made clear their opposition to removing the DADT provision from the NDAA. Information on the exact timing and procedural conditions will be announced by the Majority Leader’s office.

Present at the meeting with representatives from HRC, SLDN and CAPAF were: Jim Messina, Deputy White House Chief of Staff; Phil Schiliro, White House Director of Legislative Affairs; Chris Kang, Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs; Brian Bond, Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement; David Krone, Chief of Staff to Majority Leader Reid; and Serena Hoy, Senior Counsel to Majority Leader Reid.

McCain taken down by Maddow & the Daily Show

And finally, Sarah Palin's running mate from 2008, Sen. John McCain, has walked back further and further from his past support for repeal of DADT. Now, McCain stands as perhaps the most virulent opponent and obstacle to removing this unjust law. On Monday, Stephen Benet wrote in his post "McCain Moves the goal posts" on the blog Political Animal:

Note the evolving excuses McCain has used to justify his anti-gay attitudes:

We can't repeal DADT until the Secretary of Defense says it's a good idea. Oh, he does?

Well then we can't repeal DADT until the Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff says it's a good idea. Oh, he's on board, too?

Well then we can't repeal DADT until we've surveyed servicemen and women, asking their opinion on the policy. They're fine with repeal, too?

Well then we can't repeal DADT until we've studied the survey results for months.

That evening, Rachel Maddow did a scorching analysis of McCain's flip floppery not only on DADT, but on numerous other issues. "One of my favorite political conflict stories of all time," Maddow said, "is the sharp, bitter, decisive, at times inhumanely polarizing political conflict between John McCain and John McCain." See at 3:08 when he first condemns Jerry Falwell as "an agent of intolerance," but then changes his mind. Discussion of Don't Ask Don't Tell starts at about 5:05.

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And Jon Stewart and the Daily Show followed up with a masterful takedown of McCain. Enjoy.

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