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do this successfully? hallie? >> moralen chesky, we look forward to that interview tine on "nightly news." today is the ten-year anniversary of the policy of don't ask/don't tell, letting openly -- out of an honorable discharge, veterans can be barred from getting benefits. well, today the va is announcing a new plan that would let lgbtq vets forced out get those benefits for service. for a sense of the scope of how many people this affects, advocates think as many as 100,000 vets in the last 70 years have been removed from the
they're there to preserve the extremes and maybe chaos. this election you'll have the far right and far left and someone in between. my supporters across the board it's been reassuring and comforting to say it's time to get our city moving. it's time to start solving problems. it's time to get things done. we're going to have this debate with the public. >> let's talk about whether it's going to be a successful strategy. you're out of the mainstream of your party when it came to social issues, especially gay rights in in 2010 you supported the repeal of don't ask, don't tell. let's watch what you said then. >> i didn't think the policy of don't ask, don't tell when i served in peacetime, when i served in combat, and i don't think it makes sense today. there's nothing in someone's
money back. i think our supporters came from a broad base, republicans, democrats. what i'm hearing from a lot of them is that same frustration. they're there to preserve the extremes and maybe chaos. this election you'll have the far right and far left and someone in between. my supporters across the board it's been reassuring and comforting to say it's time to get our city moving. it's time to start solving problems. it's time to get things done. we're going to have this debate with the public. >> let's talk about whether it's going to be a successful strategy. you're out of the mainstream of your party when it came to social issues, especially gay rights in in 2010 you supported the repeal of don't ask, don't tell. let's watch what you said then. >> i didn't think the policy of don't ask, don't tale when i
>> nobody asked for their money back. our supporters came from a broad base -- republicans, democrats. what i'm hearing from them is the same frustration. you know, party insiders are there to preserve the extremes or preserve chaos. i don't know what they are afraid of. you have choices in an election. you have the far right, far left. we'll have the debay. my supporters across the board. it's been comforting to say it's time to get the city moving. time to start solving problems and get things done. >> let's talk about if it will be a successful strategy. you were out of the main stream of your party when it came to social issues. you have spoken of that, especially gay rights. you supported the repeal of don't ask, don't tell. let's ask what you said then. [ applause ] >> i didn't think the policy of don't ask, don't tell made sense when i served in peacetime. i didn't think it made sense
even if we can't prosecute them, we're not putting them back out on the battlefield. >> eric: doug, you are the democratic pollster and analyst here. what did he mean? >> your guess is as good as mine. eric, what's happening is the obama administration really basically wants a policy of don't ask, and don't tell about gitmo. by that i mean they really want the issue to go away. so, rhetoric is going to be vegas and the status quo he quo is just fine though the president made a promise he would close gitmo down in the first year of his presidency. is he not going to do it so the rhetoric is that of somebody who is trying to dodge, bob, and leave. >> what about it, dodge, bob, weave, maybe backtrack. we changed our mind we really shouldn't close gitmo after all. >> one of the problems is that when there is a problem like,
and we have to make sure that even if we can't prosecute them, we're not putting them back out on the battlefield. >> eric: doug, you are the democratic pollster and analyst here. what did he mean? >> your guess is as good as mine. eric, what's happening is the obama administration really basically wants a policy of don't ask, and don't tell about gitmo. by that i mean they really want the issue to go away. so, rhetoric is going to be vegas and the status quo he quo is just fine though the president made a promise he would close gitmo down in the first year of his presidency. is he not going to do it so the rhetoric is that of somebody who is trying to dodge, bob, and leave. >> what about it, dodge, bob, weave, maybe backtrack. we changed our mind we really shouldn't close gitmo after all. >> one of the problems is that when there is a problem like,
and we have to make sure that even if we can't prosecute them, we're not putting them back out on the battlefield. >> eric: doug, you are the democratic pollster and analyst here. what did he mean? >> your guess is as good as mine. eric, what's happening is the obama administration really basically wants a policy of don't ask, and don't tell about gitmo. by that i mean they really want the issue to go away. so, rhetoric is going to be vegas and the status quo he quo is just fine though the president made a promise he would close gitmo down in the first year of his presidency. is he not going to do it so the rhetoric is that of somebody who is trying to dodge, bob, and leave. >> what about it, dodge, bob, weave, maybe backtrack. we changed our mind we really shouldn't close gitmo after all. >> one of the problems is that
it was a surprise. blanche lincoln, it's not her fault she was at the dentist because she didn't know it was coming. as one aide in reid's office put it to me tonight, republicans from their perspective would have come up with excuse after excuse to stall. i'll tell you, though, the problem, anderson, for reid is that gay rights activists aren't so sure. they believe that there are 60 votes, as you mentioned. for repealing the policy of don't ask, don't tell. some are telling me they feel betrayed by reid for not just giving those republicans a vote on the tax cut issue first as they demanded. >> so lieberman, independent senator lieberman and collins are saying that there could be a separate don't ask, don't tell repeal legislation introduced this session. what does that really mean and how likely is it? >> as this ill fated vote was going on right on the floor of the senate, lieberman, senator lieberman extracted a promise
that's accurate? is that essentially what happened? politics trumping personal opinions here? >> politics in process. look. i mean, there's no other way around it. i'll tell you, first thing this morning i was getting word on my blackberry that harry reid was going to hold a vote despite progress in those talks we talked about last night. it was very fluid. but the fact is, when the vote actually happened, it was a surprise. blanche lincoln, it's not her fault she was at the dentist because she didn't know it was coming. when reid did this, he flatly said he did not believe anything he agreed to with gop senator susan collins wld make the outcome different. as one aide in reid's office put it to me tonight, republicans from their perspective would have come up with excuse after excuse to stall. i'll tell you, though, the problem, anderson, for reid is that gay rights activists aren't so sure. they believe that there are 60 votes, as you mentioned. for repealing the policy of don't ask, don't tell. some are telling me they feel betrayed by reid for not just giving those republicans a vote on the tax cut issue first as they demanded.
ago in lifting the ban f they don't get the 60 votes, at least for now it is dead. the don't ask, don't tell -- don't ask, don't tell policy will continue, either until the courts change it or there's another vote in the next congress but right now, this is a ral dramatic moment for gays serving in the united states military and we are all waiting to see if harry reid has those 60 votes that will break down republican-led filibuster. >> i guess, wolf, waiting for the final vote tally to see if he gets the 60 votes and then what happens next? you have been on capitol hill. if they get the 60, what is the next, i guess, procedure there on the floor? >> the next procedure it is part of a broader defense bill and that will presumably pass and then the policy will be repealed, the don't ask, don't tell policy will be repealed. as i pointed out you can the house has already passed that overwhelmingly earlier in the year. they are waiting for the senate, reconcile some of the aspects of