Postponing Christmas

I don't often agree with Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), but here goes.

“Sen. Lieberman believes that there are at least 60 votes to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ this year, provided that leadership allows time for sufficient debate and amendments," Lieberman spokeswoman Erika Masonhall said. "Wanting to go home is not an acceptable excuse for failing to pass a bill that provides essential support for our troops and veterans and failing to take action that the president, the secretary of Defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have called for.”

Unfortunately, a little birdie says it ain't gonna happen anytime soon.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is predicting the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the armed forces will be around for a while longer.

He addressed the matter in remarks to sailors Monday aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. Gates said that he was "not particularly optimistic" that Congress would overturn the policy soon, even though he wishes it would.

Personally, I am not wedded to the idea that the policy should be overturned legislatively.  I'm fine with the Courts doing the job.  But it would be nice to see the lame-duck Senate should stay in session this year until the bill is passed and "don't ask, don't tell" is history.