Tuesday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

So, it looks like the START Treaty is going to pass after all, maybe even today. Opposing START over DADT was too much for even some Republicans.

Tomorrow, the President will the sign the DADT bill into law. There's a signing ceremony at the auditorium in the Interior Department Building. They needed a big space to accommodate the crowd. The White House did invite a broad range of people, including John and me. Pam and Andy Towle also got invites, as did GetEQUAL's Robin McGehee and Lt. Dan Choi.

I'm sure a lot of servicemembers will be there, too. And, they should be. They made this happen. As one might expect, there are a lot of people claiming credit for the win. But, credit must start with the tenacious advocacy of Servicemembers United and Servicemembers Legal Defense Network -- and the men and women they represent. They never backed down, they never stopped pushing. They knew this repeal bill had to pass THIS year, not next year. And, they were right. Meeting the men and women who were willing to put their lives on the line for the rest of us -- and for a country that discriminated against them -- was all the inspiration I needed.

(And, I'm sure that Alex, Jarrod and Aubrey have some amazing stories about what really happened. Look forward to hearing them once DADT is gone for good.)

What else is happening out there?