TPM: Why Republican Demands To Debate DADT Repeal For Two Weeks Are Bogus

[flpoljunkie]

Why Republican Demands To Debate DADT Repeal For Two Weeks Are Bogus
Brian Beutler
December 6, 2010, 10:08AM

Senate Republicans have been playing a neat trick to squeeze Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal off the Senate calendar. On the one hand, as the year comes to an end, they're eating up the last days of floor time and refusing to debate any issues until the tax cut fight is resolved and the federal government is funded into next year. On the other hand, they're laying out arbitrary -- and totally new -- benchmarks for how long it should take to debate the Defense Authorization bill (the vehicle for DADT repeal) to argue that there isn't enough time to debate it this Congress.

Speaking on the Senate floor back in September, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell claimed, "The Defense authorization bill requires 4 or 5 weeks to debate."

This weekend on "Meet the Press," he revised that figure down to two weeks. "Once you get on the defense bill, it typically takes two weeks," he claimed.

Other Republicans want two weeks of debate as well -- including moderate members who say they'll support repeal but only if the process meets their specifications.

But a senior Democratic aide went back 20 years and found that spending two weeks on the defense authorization bill is a rarity.

Since 1990, the Senate has never spent anywhere close to four or five weeks debating that bill. Four times its taken longer than seven days -- thus approaching or exceeding the two week threshold.

more...

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/why-republican-demands-to-debate-dadt-repeal-for-two-weeks-are-bogus.php?ref=fpb

[TwilightGardener]

1. Paging Senator Reid...Time to set limits on debate...Paging Senator Reid...Bueller? Bueller?

[AlinPA]

2. Repeal has been killed. There are not enough votes in the new Senate. nt

[Renew Deal]

4. Link?

Where did you come up with it being "killed?"

[AlinPA]

5. McConnell said it's dead this year. nt

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/05/mitch-mcconnell-dadt-repeal-tax-cuts_n_792193.html

[Clio the Leo]

6. lol, since when do we trust anything he says?

He also says the Dems are promoting a job killing tax hike. Guess what? McConnell is FOS.

The ball's in Reid's court, if he brings the vote to the floor, it will pass.

[Renew Deal]

7. So?

Who put him in charge?

[AlinPA]

8. It sure looks like he is in charge with the filibuster.

[Renew Deal]

3. Go into 24 hours sessions including working on Christmas

And debate for 2 weeks.