Apparently a military budget was passed. Continuing trends... It is the largest military "Defense" budget ever. From Federal News Radio:

Congress has authorized the Pentagon to spend nearly $160 billion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with no major restrictions on the conduct of operations. This year's approved legislation includes $725 billion in defense programs, including $158.7 billion for overseas combat. Among its numerous provisions is a 1.4 percent pay raise for troops and a guarantee that children of service members can stay covered under the military's TRICARE health care program until they are 26 years of age.

I believe there was no debate on this, but it is only endless war, eh? Just in case you did not hear about this news from your local media, because there ain't much in the Google search on it, YET, below the fold is some video from another untypical source because it ain't in the papers of record or other Traditional Media sources under any obvious headline like, say: "2011 Defense Budget Passed". Make the jump»

For now...

It is sad that they don't even have enough of a spine to talk about this. Not rationally nor irrationally, as is their tendency these days, they would rather just muzzle any debates on the world that has long since passed them by.

"With the failed cloture vote to end the filibuster of the Defense Authorization bill -- which in essence killed a vote on repealing "don't ask, don't tell," Joe Lieberman has announced that he will introduce a free standing bill to repeal the policy"

Barbara Morill also says to "stay tuned" because it will be coming before the end of the sessions.

And the tubes...

Via The Rachel Maddow Show:

At 267 pages, the Pentagon's study is a serious read. Get started. Grab your copy here, as a PDF, and tell us what you see in the comments.

A little bit of video on this and featuring Maddow below the fold. Make the jump»

I really want to know how we can possibly have an honest discourse on the subject of "don't ask, don't tell" when I have to stop and explain how a truly ignorant bigot like Rep. Ike Skelton is serving as a politician, never mind on the Armed Services Committee, to my 7 year old child? Make the jump»

Arguably and the way this legislation is set up, repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policies that discriminate against the gay and lesbian communities and their ability to serve in the military will take time to do it this way. It could be done instantly with the wave of a presidential pen but the problem with that is that what the presidential pen giveth, the presidential pen may just as easily taketh away under the next discriminating and homophobic president. So, in a way, this slow walk may be better: Make the jump»

Self-bumped and promoted. Originally posted 2009-12-10 15:40:12 -0500. Also available in orange. -- GH

Because of a thread that hit the flame folder here where the original poster was demonstrably uninterested in reality, I'm posting this -- feel free to add, amend, correct, elucidate, qualify or quantify.

• DADT: Obama hasn't demonstrated any overt leadership on this, and appears to be dragging his heels. But he also has reaffirmed that he will get it repealed/replaced, and other promising signs of culture-shifts that recognize the importance of full equality and non-discrimination are emerging.

• EFCA: (Employee Free Choice Act) Obama was an original co-sponsor of this while he was still in the Senate, and pledged to sign it into law upon becoming President. The qualifier, of course, was that Congress had to pass the legislation so it would appear on his desk for him to sign -- as it is with any law. The Obama WH had reiterated support for the legislation, but it has so far been stalled by the GOP and a group of wayward Democrats.

• Economy, Wall Street and the Banks: This is a mess that Obama inherited from his predecessor -- a stinking, seething pile of sh!t festering throughout the economic and social infrastructure of the nation, with vast ties to the world economy. Made ever-more complicated by the expansive reduction in regulatory controls that the GOP's unfettered majorities of the preceding 12 years made possible, this is one of the biggest messes to clean up. Obama has made several unpopular decisions, some of which appear to be strategically necessary and others which appear unfathomable betrayals...yet, behind the scenes, other steps have been taken that have garnered less attention and move us further toward unraveling the twisted knots of red tape. (See House Committee votes to let regulators break up Too Big to Fail Banks, for example.)

• Healthcare: Under Obama's initiative, a healthcare reform bill was taken up -- and subsequently ding'd repeatedly as Dems caved and capitulated to the GOP (and other screwheads) -- and yet, a better-we-have-had-to-date bill looks to be on the verge of passing. Behind the scenes, other actions are helping to lay and set a foundation for improvements that will also make further future reforms easier while reducing overhead cost and bureaucracy. One of the little-recognized big changes that looks like it may stay in the current form of the bill is the push to keep 90% of premium money focused on health care, not administrative costs. Wile this may result in hiked premiums (there's little regulatory strength to help ensure affordable premiums are raised beyond a fair limit), it does stand to significantly impact the insurer's bottom lines and fat margins.

  See CTMan's earlier front-page post for some in-depth perspective and more information.

So, yeah -- Obama's been making progress, not always in a popular way, but against insane opposition, increasing security threats and a huge mess.^{1, 2, 3} If you're having issues with his performance given the size and heft of the sh!t sandwich he was handed, and upon which the GOP, the teabaggers and recalcitrant politico Dems keep dolluping more crap, then grab a mop.

Just a day after the grandiose invitation only meet and greet over cocktails at the White House with LGBT "leaders" and President Obama to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Stonewall, comes word that on Tuesday a military board in Syracuse, NY has recommended Lt. Dan Choi be fired from his position with the Army National Guard in violation of DADT. Lt. Choi is a founding member of Knights Out and spokeperson for the group of LGBT West Point graduates. Make the jump»