Doesn’t seem to be much of one, at least not on Maine Republican Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins. MSNBC is reporting that Democrats don’t expect to find the 60 votes needed to break a Republican filibuster this afternoon and overturn the Pentagon’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays in the military. Here‘s the Portland (Maine) Press-Herald on the Lady’s rally in Maine yesterday:
It was unclear what impact the rally had on Snowe and Collins.
“Let me be clear, the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ law should be changed,” Collins said in a prepared statement. But she criticized Reid’s handling of the bill.
“Now is not the time to play politics, and I again call on the majority leader to work with Republican leaders to negotiate an agreement so that the Senate can debate the defense bill this week,” she said.
Snowe said the 17-year-old policy is “overdue” for review, but a vote on the policy should wait until the Defense Department’s comprehensive review, ordered in March, is complete.
“We should all have the opportunity to review that report which is to be completed on Dec. 1, as we re-evaluate this policy and the implementation of any new changes,” she said in a prepared statement.
Snowe and Collins, whose support this afternoon could overturn the ban, are complaining about process, although it’s also possible they’re feeling a bit intimidated by their party’s right wing and don’t want to stick their necks out at this particular moment.