DADT

I'm gonna get this down real quick while I'm still steamed. Then I think I'll have a drink.

The vote on the defense bill today (which would have allowed the repeal of DADT once the review was finished) was a complete setup from start to finish. There was never a chance in hell that it would pass the filibuster. None. Zero. Zip.

Aside from DADT, the bill also included the DREAM act (which is a new path to naturalization for immigrants) and language that would have allowed military doctors to perform abortions on oversea bases. That's every social hot-button issue that's guaranteed to generate Republican opposition, in One. Bill.

I have to assume that Harry Reid is not a stupid man, but he still brought this doomed bill to a vote on the Senate floor. Which means one of two things: Harry Reid has completely lost his mind, or this was a cunning plan to generate Democratic outrage in advance of the 2010 election.

Think about it. The Democrats gain nothing by failing to pass legislation that their base would love in advance of an election. But if they spin this as another example of Republican obstruction (which it demonstrably is), they gain a boost of rage-based adrenaline in their entire base. And what do angry voters do? They vote. And there is nothing the Democrats need more than more voters that are pissed off at the GOP.

Keep an eye on how the media and the Democrats spin this, and see how it plays out in the election. That will tell you a lot about what Harry Reid was thinking today.

Oh, and I'm all in favor of DADT going away for good. For the record.