Hat tip to our good friends at Fired Up.

Wedge issues trump everything for republicans.

The White House issued the following statement on yesterday’s votes in Congress in the process of repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”:

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release May 27, 2010

Statement by the President on Votes to Repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”

I have long advocated that we repeal ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’, and I am pleased that both the House of Representatives and the Senate Armed Services Committee took important bipartisan steps toward repeal tonight.  Key to successful repeal will be the ongoing Defense Department review, and as such I am grateful that the amendments offered by Representative Patrick Murphy and Senators Joseph Lieberman and Carl Levin that passed today will ensure that the Department of Defense can complete that comprehensive review that will allow our military and their families the opportunity to inform and shape the implementation process.  Our military is made up of the best and bravest men and women in our nation, and my greatest honor is leading them as Commander-in-Chief. This legislation will help make our Armed Forces even stronger and more inclusive by allowing gay and lesbian soldiers to serve honestly and with integrity.

Incumbent Representative Jo Ann Emereson (r), facing one of the most serious and credible campaign challenges in her insider Washington congressional career, took time to “diss” challenger Tommy Sowers’ (D) military career – right before Memorial Day. All because of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”:

8th District candidates split on military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy

Friday, May 28, 2010

By Rudi Keller Southeast Missourian

Democratic congressional contender Tommy Sowers, a former Army officer, on Thursday endorsed plans to repeal the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on gays in the military. Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, however, said she opposes repeal and opposes allowing gays to serve openly in the armed forces….

….In addition, Emerson said her opposition is based on comments from field commanders “who have said that in very difficult situations in Afghanistan and Iraq, in combat jobs, that it is beneficial to have knowledge of that because there can be distractions. Since Sowers has never commanded anybody, he might have a different perspective….”

[emphasis added]

A video on Tommy Sowers’ service – from his campaign:

Now, Jo Ann Emerson’s remark doesn’t appear to be very accurate, does it?

As for wedge issues – in 1993 I asked my father, he of twenty-two years of service, about gays in the military. He told me (paraphrased), “There always have been, there always will be. Nobody cares as long as everyone does their job.”