Even-Handed

Well, the Democrats are about to take control of Congress, so it's time to start sniping at them. (Finally, you get to see the truth of my claim to even-handed snark.)

A summary of the new Speaker's priorities. I remain unconvinced.

Pelosi has also tempered hopes of reversing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on the service of gays and lesbians in the military, after two key Democrats -- Representatives Martin T. Meehan of Lowell and Barney Frank of Newton -- said last week that they want to repeal the policy.

Though Pelosi believes homosexuals should be able to openly serve, she has made clear that she believes Democrats have more urgent national-security priorities -- including changing course in Iraq and investigating war-related contracting.

Is this an admission that the gay vote is the Democrats' equivalent of the "values voters"? Or is Pelosi setting herself up for another black eye?

"We hope to get something done that's serious, that's beyond political," [Representative Michael E.] Capuano said.

(Capuano is leading Pelosi's transition team.)

It seems to me that an item like DADT is a signature item for the Democrats -- it's a way to brand the Republicans for what they are. It's a small-minded piece of shit that doesn't work, that has cost the military 11,000 talented people, many of them trained specialists, has also cost about $400 million dollars. Every poll over the last two years shows widespread support for repeal. The bill as introduced in the last Congress had well over 100 sponsors, and I think it's pretty safe item. If Pelosi's ready at the get-go to table that one, it just bears out my suspicions that we're nothing more than cannon fodder.

I should point out that the Democrats have no credibility with me. Their main value so far has been to get the Christianists who control the Republican party on the defensive, and I suspect that they simply don't have the balls. It starts to look as though I'm right -- not only have they had no success with calling the Dobson Gang to account, they're buying into the mentality.

Here's a commentary by Robbie at The Malcontent.