House Aproves Stand Alone DADT Repeal 250 to 175; Poll 77% of Public Supports Repeal

Today the House of Representatives approved a stand alone repeal bill which would end DADT along the same lines previously passed by the House earlier this year as part of the Defense Authorization Act. The vote was 250 for repeal and 175 against with 9 not voting. The roll call on the vote can be found here. Now the measure goes to the Senate where Harry Reid says a vote will not be scheduled until next week. Not surprisingly, 165 of the no votes came from Republicans who don't give a damn about what 77% of Americans want. Nope, they're too busy sticking their noses up the hypocritical, lying asses of the Christianists. One Republican, Rep. Louie Gohmet (R-TX), apparently out to prove himself to be a total ignorant ass, regurgitated the tired lie that societies that accept homosexuality are doomed to fall, said the following on the House floor (via Think Progress):
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GOHMERT: To my friend who said that history would judge us poorly, I would submit if you would look thoroughly at history — and I’m not saying it’s cause and effect — but when militaries throughout history of the greatest nations in the world have adopted the policy that “fine for homosexuality to be overt” — you can keep it private and control your hormones fine, if you can’t, that’s fine too — they’re toward the end of their existence as a great nation.
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As we have commented before, serious historians label Mr. Gohmert's claims to be utterly untrue - or more total bullshit. The House vote reflects the will of the majority of Americans as demonstrated by a new Washington Post-ABC News Poll:
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Nearly eight in 10 Americans favor allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
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The results signal continued widespread public support for ending the military's 17-year ban on gays in the military and come as Congress prepares to vote again on legislation ending the military's "don't ask, don't tell" law.
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Overall, 77 percent of Americans say gays and lesbians who publicly disclose their sexual orientation should be able to serve in the military. That's little changed from polls over the two years, but represents the highest level of support in a Post-ABC poll. The support also cuts across partisan and ideological lines, with majorities of Democrats, Republicans, independents, liberals, conservatives and white evangelical Protestants in favor of homosexuals' serving openly.
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As for the next step for approval by the Senate, much depends on Harry Reid and when a vote is scheduled - members of the GOP are already whining about discrimination against Christians if Reid keeps the Senate in session into the Christmas weekend. Here are highlights from the Washington Post on the prospects in the Senate:
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Wednesday's vote sends the bill back to the Senate, where a vote will not occur until next week at the earliest, according to a spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.).
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Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) introduced the new bill last week, believing it will earn broader Republican support after the Senate completes consideration of the New START Treaty and government spending. Forty-seven senators, including Reid, are cosponsoring the bill.
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Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) said Wednesday she would join Republican colleagues Scott Brown (Mass.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) in voting to end the ban if the Senate votes again on the bill.