[Julie]

VICTORY for US!

WASHINGTON – The Senate today took a monumental step toward repealing the military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that prevents gay and lesbian troops from serving openly.

In a procedural matter called cloture, the Senate voted 63-33 to limit debate on DADT.

A final vote on DADT will be called by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sometime today or soon thereafter. The chances of passage are now greatly improved.

During the limited debate this morning, each side reiterated the familiar arguments. Opponents of repeal such as Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., tried to convince his colleagues that the world will end if the military stops discriminating against gays and lesbians. Other Republican senators ignored the overwhelming evidence supporting repeal, produced in the Pentagon's exhaustive study of troops, and dug deep to find obscure statistics to justify the continuation of the policy.

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., made the most compelling argument for repeal when he noted that the first American soldier wounded during the Iraq War was Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, a gay Marine who lost a leg when he stepped on a land mine.

“That mine didn’t care if he was gay or straight,” Levin said.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., pointed out that 14,000 gay and lesbian troops have been discharged under DADT, including many linguists who are vital in the war against terror.