Eric Massa, Joe Lieberman, and Keith Ellison

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I am not a single issue guy -- and despite my differences with Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) on health care and his general applause for the next and next next wars America chooses, he did a great thing by introducing legislation today to repeal the embedded bigotry in our national military forces of Don't Ask Don't Tell. Hopefully some of the Joe Lieberman magic on this issue will pull back Senator McCain to his previous enlightened position. Thank you Senator Lieberman.

Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) is taking respect for American norms and human rights a step further by a powerful reading tonight of the "torture memos" at the Georgtown University Law Center. The meeting is at 7 pm EST and will stream live here. The organizers are the American Civil Liberties Union, PEN American Center, and Georgetown Law's Human Rights Institute and Center on National Security and Law. Thank you Representative Ellison.

Finally, Representative Eric Massa (D-NY) has announced today that he is not seeking reelection. His stated reason is that he has had a cancer recurrence and wants to enjoy the last phase of his life. I have the greatest respect and admiration for Massa, who was first introduced to me a few years ago by General Wesley Clark. I recently saw Eric Massa at the massive J Street policy conference in Washington, DC -- where he was showing his strong support along with many dozens of other US Congressman for the work of the new organization. Thank you Representative Massa for all you have been doing and hopefully will continue to do in the private sector.

-- Steve Clemons

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Posted by questions, Mar 03 2010, 5:30PM - Link

I hope this is now so insanely overdetermined that it simply will pass without the nonsense from the right.

DC marriage is there too!!!!!!

Posted by samuelburke, Mar 03 2010, 7:09PM - Link

are these two getting married in washington?Politically they are reconciled, all they need now is to fall in love.

Posted by MattW, Mar 03 2010, 7:22PM - Link

Call me cynical. Isn't it because Lieberman is afraid of that on-duty service man may claim themselve as gays to avoid being deployed when his obsessed next and next war becomes real in the very near future, that makes him such an support of this issue?

Posted by Susan, Mar 03 2010, 8:59PM - Link

Ellison and Massa have both done very good things in their lives.

Not so for Lieberman. I smell a rat.

Posted by daCascadian, Mar 03 2010, 10:01PM - Link

Lieberman IS a rat & that is what you smell. MattW probably isn't
very far off the truth.

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a
revolutionary act." - George Orwell

Posted by ..., Mar 04 2010, 1:04AM - Link

i share matts cynicism...

Posted by DavidT, Mar 04 2010, 1:21PM - Link

Steve,

Good for you for acknowledging Senator Lieberman's role on
this matter. It's dissappointing that Senator McCain has
decided not to support this long overdue change given
that he had said he would if the military was in support of it.
However, while I'm not surprised that you didn't acknowledge
President Obama's role on this, in spite of expressing
criticism his administration for dragging it's feet on this issue,
I am surprised that you haven't mentioned (unless I missed
it), that you didn't acknowledge or discuss Admiral Mullen's
courageous and outspoken testimony on this policy. You
may not be a single-issue guy, but this is a topic that based
on your past postings is an issue you care deeply about. So
how come no, "the military finally..." or "the much delayed
policy on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was at long last..."? And
given some of the likely unpleasantness Admiral Mullen is
likely to encounter for his courage, not even an
acknowledgement of his testimony? If I missed your post on
this my apologies.

Still thanks for acknowledging one of your chief previous
targets :).

Posted by thetruth, Mar 04 2010, 7:28PM - Link

This is pure political calculation on Lieberman's part. He's trying to mitigate the damage he did with the Dem caucus by obstructing actual HCR.

Posted by Debby, Mar 04 2010, 9:44PM - Link

Eric Massa is a fine man, a patriot and a public servant. I look forward to the public acknowledgement that he has in no way behaved in an unethical manner. I wish him well in his battle to regain his health.

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