Two of the biggest equality issues that our current President pledged to be a fierce advocate for once he was elected are DADT ("Don't ask don't tell") and DOMA ("Defense of marriage act"). Whether it is equality for those seeking to serve in our military or for all who wish to seek marriage in America, it is clear that politicians are dedicated to whipping up their conservative base into a lather in order to prevent forward movement in the equality movement.
One more case in point today. Senator John McCain successfully led a Republican filibuster of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), to which the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is attached. Wait, didn't McCain state that he would support the repeal of DADT as long as the top military brass supported it?
"The day that the leadership of the military comes to me and says, 'Senator, we ought to change the policy,' then I think we ought to consider seriously changing it," McCain said in October 2006 to an audience of Iowa State University students.
One ray of hope, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has committed to bringing the bill back up following the election. Here's hoping the mid-term elections don't net more conservative base "tea" lovers sitting in the valuable moderate seats in Congress.
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