July 23, 2009 05:30 PM UTC

Udall Gaining His Stride?

• 3 Comments
• by: ThillyWabbit

While yesterday’s gun vote was disappointing, I would be remiss not to note something I had meant to write up last week.

On Senator Udall’s YouTube page is some video of a floor speech he apparently made on the Defense Authorization Act to which this gun vote was attached.

In Part II, there are some nuggets that remind me why I worked so hard to get him elected last year:

At about 2:20, a strong statement on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell:

Other policies need change because they are antiquated and no longer reflect the reality of our society. The failed policy “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a good example of this. But the fact that it will be difficult to repeal doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. Since the implementation of this policy in 1993, the armed forces have discharged over 12,000 brave and qualified combat troops, code-breakers, medical and intelligence specialists, and skilled translators simply for being gay. This includes nearly 300 discharged since President Obama took office this year.

Mr. President, this is 2009. I believe this discriminatory policy undermines the strength of our military and the fairness of our great nation. We are also engaged in two wars. It is counterproductive to discharge qualified service members who have critical skills to winning these wars – even as the military has to spend millions of scarce dollars to replace them. We need to bring the unjustness of this policy to the forefront now, and I plan to work with my colleagues and with the Administration to see that we accomplish in a timely manner the full repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.”

And at 3:55, he smacked some fellow members of the Senate Armed Services Committee for porking up the bill with F-22 aircraft that could only be justified by members of what John McCain called the “military-industrial-congressional complex.”

But there are also provisions in this bill that shouldn’t be included, such as additional spending on the F-22. I voted in Committee against an amendment to add $1.75 billion to the bill to purchase additional F-22 aircraft that the military does not want, does not need, and says we cannot afford. The F-22 is a valuable and capable aircraft – and we will have this capability for many years to come. The question is whether we need more than 187 aircraft to meet the nation’s requirements, and there is bipartisan agreement that we do not. Presidents Obama and Bush, two secretaries of defense, three chairmen of the joint chiefs, and current members of the joint chiefs agree that 187 aircraft are sufficient.

This is why I actively worked to get him elected. He is not a firebrand but an introvert. He’s a brainiac who is intellectually curious and he is grounded by his fundamental sense of fairness. What a contrast from Wayne Allard (aka “Dullard”) or Bob “I never witnessed any forced abortions” Schaffer.

I haven’t been completely thrilled with his low profile since he moved to the Senate, but I attribute it to culture shock. The Senate is not the House. But watching over the last few weeks it does seem that he’s getting acclimated, and that’s a good thing.