There's Some Fight Left In Them Yet

The Dems are finally going on the offensive in the Senate, looking to pass two measures as attachments to the yearly defense appropriations bill.  The first is a repeal of the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, and the other is the DREAM Act, allowing a path to citizenship through military service.  BooMan runs down the specifics:

As you probably know, the Defense Appropriations Bill is the most must-pass bill in existence. If it doesn't pass our troops are left in the field with nothing but their genitalia in their hands. If you want to pass something that cannot otherwise pass, you attach it to the Defense spending bill. That's also why Harry Reid is including language in this year's bill that will end the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. He's letting the Republicans offer an amendment to strip that language out, but they'd need 60 votes to accomplish that, and there's not a chance in hell that they can pick up 19 Democrats to maintain a homophobic law.

McCain is probably more pissed off about the Democrats giving something important to both the Latino and the LGBT communities on the eve of the midterms than he is about the procedure being used.

Maybe the procedure isn't pretty, but it's payback for the Republicans' unprecedented obstruction. The Democrats will put the DREAM Act in the Defense Appropriations bill and defeat any effort to keep Don't Ask, Don't Tell before they recess for the elections. They will also force the Republicans to vote for or against keeping tax cuts for 97% of Americans, and then for or against keeping tax cuts for our richest three percent. It helps to be able to set the agenda.

Meanwhile, the Republicans will spend much of their time trying to explain their fondness for rape babies and hatred of Social Security, Medicare, and masturbation. 

It's not pretty in the least, but both measures absolutely belong in a defense related bill as they are military personnel issues,  and let's face it:  Republicans have filibustered both measures in the Senate for the last six months.

The question now is whether or not the Democrats are willing to follow through on this plan.  Republicans have vowed not to hand any more legislative victories to Obama and the Democrats, especially six weeks before the election where the Dems can point them out.  The Republicans are going to do everything they can to scuttle a bill that must pass for our troops in the field and then blame the Democrats.

The Democrats have put support from both LGBT and Latino communities on the line here, not to mention military families.  If the Dems fold on this, they are most likely going to get savaged as the base decides "You know what?  These Democrats can't get things done."  (The same goes for the middle-class tax cuts, too.)  It's a gamble.  The Republicans know they can break the Dems' backs if they can force them to drop the DADT and DREAM Act measures.

So, the question then becomes "Will the Dems hold out?"  The Republicans have already shown that they'd rather see the country burn than pass legislation that the Democrats can take credit for that helps the economy.  Will they be willing to kill the defense bill?  The Democrats need to operate with the assumption that they will and have to be prepared to go the mattresses on this.

We'll see.  The election could be on the line over this.