May 27, 2010 09:23 PM UTC

No surprise: Markey will support "don't ask, don't tell" repeal

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• by: BobMoore

( – promoted by Colorado Pols)

I sometimes shake my head when reading national political journals writing about the 4th Congressional District. A lot of the coverage is built on a narrative of having a “vulnerable” incumbent, and everything is seen through that prism. While Rep. Betsy Markey and Republican nominee Cory Gardner certainly will wage one of the nation’s most interesting and closely watched congressional campaigns of the fall, there’s a lot more to this district than that simple narrative.

Case in point: The Hill, a publication that covers Congress, had a story today headlined: “Many House Dems dodge the ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ question.”

http://thehill.com/homenews/ho…

Some excerpts:

“Many Democrats in the House don’t want to be asked, and don’t want to tell how they plan to vote on, the repeal of the ban on gays serving openly in the military. In a survey by The Hill, most of the 73 Democrats who have not sponsored legislation to end the ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy declined to return calls asking for their position on the issue. … A number of the undecided Democrats whose offices declined to give their positions face tough reelection faces this fall. They include Reps. Baron Hill (Ind.), Betsy Markey (Colo.), Harry Teague (N.M.), Travis Childers (Miss.) and Walt Minnick (Idaho).”

Whether or not Markey’s office responded to a survey, anybody possessing the slightest bit of history of the 4th Congressional District and the 2008 campaign knows that Markey will vote in favor of repealing DADT.

I checked with her spokesman, Ben Marter, and he made it clear that Markey viewed this as a civil rights issue and would vote in favor of repeal.

“The congresswoman believes that this issue shouldn’t affect the courageous decision any American makes to fight for our country,” Marter said.

The repeal will come before the House, probably Thursday, as an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill. Also, Markey will have an amendment, almost certain to pass, that will create a scholarship program for veterans pursuing advanced degrees in behavioral health. The idea is to create a pool of peer-to-peer counselors to help other veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress and other mental health issues.

UPDATE: The House voted 234-194 Thursday night on the amendment to repeal DADT. As expected, Markey voted with the majority. Markey’s amendment will come up for a vote Friday.