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Arkansas Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor says he will no longer oppose the repeal of the ban on gays serving openly in the military.
Pryor told NBC today he has come to accept this is a military policy and while not setting aside the "moral aspects" believes the Pentagon is prepared to make the transition. He acknowledges support for the repeal is not particularly popular in his home state.
Pryor also said he is unsure the repeal as part of a large Defense Authorization bill will actually make it to the Senate floor before the end of the year. He said regardless he wanted his constituents to know he is prepared to support it now.
Here's his written statement:
"On many previous occasions, I have said that I would oppose repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell until I had heard from our servicemen and women regarding this policy. I have now carefully reviewed all of the findings, reports, and testimony from our armed forces on this matter and I accept the Pentagon's recommendations to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I also accept the Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs' commitment that this policy can be implemented in a manner that does not harm our military's readiness, recruitment, or retention. We have the strongest military in the world and we will continue to do so by ensuring our troops have the resources necessary to carry out their missions. Therefore, I support the 2011 Defense Authorization Act that passed the Senate Armed Services Committee and will support procedural measures to bring it to a vote this year."
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Pryor, another C-street "the Family" knucklehead.
Than k you, senator. Now if we could just get McCain on board, but I'm not sure we need his vote to pass this repeal.
Indie Woman in Denver
Than k you, senator. Now if we could just get McCain on board, but I'm not sure we need his vote to pass this repeal.
Maybe his good friend Lieberman can whisper in his ear how to vote. Let's hope it work.
Thank you Sen. Pryor for acting like an elected leader should: Weigh the evidence, put aside your own personal feelings, and do what's best for the country.
I agree and what happened to McCain's "Country First", should be "Tea Party First" now.
If its the "moral aspects" you are worried about senator, how about the moral aspects of an official policy that requires servicemen (and women) to lie. Your decision works for the ten commandments, it should work for the moral people of your district.
McCain's brain is gone! I know I'm not the only one who has noticed this. His combativeness is a sign that his mind isn't working as well as it once was. I respect his service in the military and in public service but its time he let go and aged gracefully instead of on camera where he is mocked daily for his rants.
DADT will end or SCOTUS will get rid of it for us. Senators realize this and will vote for repeal.
I doubt SCOTUS will do away with it. they are an ultra-conservative court. the best hope of repeal lies with the legislature. unfortunately, the more I pay attention to the members of SCOTUS the more I am concerned about their ability to be impartial & abide by the constitution& letter of the law. their personal lack of ethics (Thomas, Scalia, & Alito in particular) seems to be at an all time high. I guess money can buy anything.
You've just done the right thing, senator. As for McCain, keep yourself destructive flag flying.
"We are not united by nationality, blood or religion. We are held together by a central belief in democracy." from a very smart lady and we should all consider it's meaning. Democracy: a state of society characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges.
For Christians ask "what would Jesus do?"
For all the free thinkers ask "What would Scooby Do ? "
KenKu
well said.
Gays in the service! rut row - Scooby
Gump ... gays are already in the service. Why do the proponents of repeal forget that? If its OK for them to serve in silence, why isn't it OK for them to openly acknowledge who they are?
Wonder what he was promised or threatened with? This should be a non-issue anyway.
He was promised that his Arkansas buddies would not take him camping, and then tell him he was abducted and gang probed by aliens when he wakes up naked in the woods.
Thank you, Senator Pryor!
Please look to John 8:11, Jesus would say to the gay serviceman "go and sin no more". Yes Jesus loves us all but that doesn't mean he approves of our lifestyles...
Our military has Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Atheists, and probably some Zoroastrians. they are all equal under the Constitution. We don't have a state religion. I don't give a damn how narrow-minded you think Jesus was.
Go and sin no more ??? How do you know homosexuality IS a sin ??? YOU DON'T ! That judgement is reserved for God and God alone - not you. I love all of these right-wing kooks who CLAIM to be Christians, but really are NOT Christians at all - they are judgemental hypocrites - many of whom are unabashed self-serving Capitalists who try to "disguse themselves" as Christians !
REAL Christians don't have to "advertise" it - you will know them by their actions and compassion.
Beware of ANY person who has to tell you they are a Christian, because they probably aren't !!!
JD-2773030; well said. For gays to say they are being discriminated against is complete and utter bull hockey!!! They have the same rights that Straight people have, they just refuse to exercise those rights because they want to supercede those rights with their wants. Nobody ever promised or guaranteed that you get what you want.
When they take away your right to marry or serve in the military, get back to me and explain how all right it is with you.
that's just plain nonsense. I think it's a pretty easy argument. why would anyone approve of lying? who wants to live a lie? who condones this kind of behavior? I applaud the proponents of repeal for their courage and their basic core goodness. what better qualifications are there than to be a man or woman of truth, honor and character?
What? Statesmanship? In Washington? In 2010? How could this happen?
horns fan and JD:
Isn't lying a sin? You would force them to lie and/or deceive because you hate them so much. You would like to pretend that they are not there. Tragically, Christian ministers all over the country are coming out in later life as gay. They lied and lied - because you wanted them to lie. Just like you want your own relatives to lie - if they might be "that way." You would like to kill them in a "mercy killing." Your advice is just hide, lie, and/or die (in all Christian charity).
If the best Special Operations soldier to resuce an American POW was set to start his, or her, mission, but was found to be gay one minute before the rescue operation was to start... should they still be kicked out of the military? Should the mission wait until a replacement was found? What would our senators from across the US say?
First they'd have to discuss getting a study of the situation done, then they would have to finance the study, hire a consultant to run the study, publicize the results, have a comment period on the study findings, discuss the study among the other senators and then have a dummy vote on what they would do, then have hearings on the best replacement, Then and only then - they would go home 2 weeks earlier than any other hard working American and take up the mission on the next session of congress. What ever happened to "damn the torpedos"?