Al Franken Chokes Up During Speech After 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal Is Defeated (VIDEO)

Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) choked up during a speech on the Senate floor after the bill including a repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy was defeated by a GOP filibuster.

Franken has done several USO tours, and he became quite emotional describing a particular one where he was entertaining the troops during a long show and expressed confusion about the worth of the DADT policy and the harm it did to our military. Several soldiers approached him afterward and told him they were gay.

Naming the ban "foolish" and "unjust," he called for its repeal and noted that we are not only hurting gay and lesbian service members but also ourselves:

All gay and lesbian service members want to be able to serve. Instead, people are getting kicked out of the military. People who don't need any moral waiver, people who don't need standards lowered for them in order to serve. People who are patriotic and courageous and who have vital, irreplaceable skills.

WATCH: (via TPM)

Comments

[TILL]

09:56 AM on 10/13/2010

Getting tough on homosexuals and getting the Republican vote out. Getting tough on President Obama and blacks and getting the Republican vote out. Same with the Muslim Religion, disregarding our founding fathers' implementation of freedom of speech.

[piperflyer]

11:31 PM on 10/11/2010

Choking has always been a sexual hazard, Al.

[calpinky]

09:31 PM on 10/09/2010

Way to go Al. Too bad it wasn't in celebration. We all know that fear trumps reason...often.

[davyd56]

01:06 AM on 09/30/2010

ANYONE who supports DADT is weak on national security.

[carnitine]

08:02 PM on 10/01/2010

Only reason I dont support DADT is so Gates wont bring in the draft. National Security is a strawman.
from reason website
"Even if terrorists were able to pull off one attack per year on the scale of the 9/11 atrocity, that would mean your one-year risk would be one in 100,000 and your lifetime risk would be about one in 1300. (300,000,000 ÷ 3,000 = 100,000 ÷ 78 years = 1282) In other words, your risk of dying in a plausible terrorist attack is much lower than your risk of dying in a car accident, by walking across the street, by drowning, in a fire, by falling, or by being murdered."

[notillegal2]

03:40 PM on 09/24/2010

Was that an old SNL act?

[arlandbaee]

01:35 AM on 09/24/2010

My grand mother used to say, "Pigs will fly afore an ignorant feller gits he's ignorant and we'll be eatin pork wings before a ignorant fool admits his ignorance".

[Lahonda]

11:36 PM on 09/23/2010

A bullet does not care whether it passes through a straight or gay soldier.

Why should we?

We should, because their patriotism or service is the very same. if not more.

[arlandbaee]

11:08 PM on 09/23/2010

A boy is born into a family with a tradition of military service. The boy's father is a retired naval officer. His grandfather was in WWII. Two uncles are air force and one of their wives is also an officer in the air force. This boy desires more than anything to continue with the military tradition but it turns out he's gay. What do you think he should do?

[johngary66]

01:08 AM on 10/15/2010

Easy arlandbaee, become a peace activist and protest US wars of agression to benefit the greed of the elite. IE Irag/Afghanistan/Viet Nam.

[johngary66]

01:31 AM on 10/15/2010

That's easy arlandbaee, become a peace activist and protest US wars of agression in Irag.and Afghanistan for the benefit of Corporate America and the elite. Can anyone tell me why a moderator would feel justified in censoring this post like they did?

[Chris1962]

10:36 PM on 09/23/2010

Anybody seen the latest?

Obama seeks to curb ruling on gays in military
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68M5X220100924

[Ioan Lightoller]

11:37 PM on 09/23/2010

This shows that Obama never wanted to do a thing for GLBT Americans. All he wanted were our votes. What a $&*@#%$!

[Mac TheTurtle]

04:09 PM on 09/24/2010

I understand the anger; share it in fact. But I don't think 40 Republicans and a clueless Democrat filibustering a military authorization bill just to perpetuate a doomed and stupid policy can be hung on Obama's neck. Change is slow:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/evan-handler/who-are-we_b_737515.html

[Luke Thompson]

10:09 PM on 09/23/2010

This shouldn't be an issue with Americans, but somehow it is. To those saying it is an act, I don't think it is. Some of our Senators indeed are passionate about what they believe in and what is right. This bill will get passed eventually, but it should have a long time ago.

[Marc NL]

09:38 PM on 09/23/2010

I can't believe this is even an issue to a lot of American people. I can't believe people are actually discussing this. It's like discussing the right for women to vote, or discussing the merits of slavery.
I don't see enough outrage here on T.V just people politely discussing it, unbelievable.

It's really sad because it indicates that the "leader of the free world" still has so very far to go when it comes to achieving BASIC human rights.

[Chris1962]

12:03 AM on 09/24/2010

Why not tell that to the man of change?

Obama seeks to curb ruling on gays in military
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68M ­5X22010092 ­4

Feds object to 'don't ask, don't tell' injunction
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100924/ap_on_re_us/us_gays_in ­_military_ ­2”

[Marc NL]

05:33 AM on 09/24/2010

Manu people have and The President is also for a repeal of DADT. Unfortunately they didn't even got to debate on it.

Said thing is to many people think this is a controversial issue. It shouldn't be.

[arlandbaee]

09:01 PM on 09/23/2010

I can't believe all of the anti Al Franken comments here. He goes overseas to do USO shows, supporting the military and this is the thanks he gets. There's too much hate going around.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

08:14 PM on 09/23/2010

A majority of REPUBLICANS, as well as Indies and Dems, support revoking DADT.

It's SENATE Repukes who are out of step.

[wyldthings]

08:22 PM on 09/23/2010

No they are not. We the American people by almost 80% support the repeal of DADT. The difference Military matters are not political. The 80% of us have no responsibility for our National security. The President and Congress have that job. So what IF 12%-15% of Military do not re-enlist. I'll tell you THE DRAFT. And you won't be able to use I'm Gay to not be drafted. And then with out volunteering they will use you for cannon fodder. Will you enlist in the Infantry to fill the spots left by the "Bigots" I bet not!!

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

08:34 PM on 09/23/2010

I'm confused by your post, starting with "no they are not."
Ah well.

Agreed that military matters should not be politicized. But a) they were when the policy was INSTALLED, and b) the non-reenlisters CURRENTLY serve with gays -- who are CLOSETED -- as a direct product of the current policy.

The rest is, to me, convoluted.

[Chris1962]

10:37 PM on 09/23/2010

Don't forget Obama, who's seeking to block the court ruling:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE68M5X220100924

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

08:13 PM on 09/23/2010

According to the Repukes: Better we lose some able leaders, officers, and translators than have our lives defended by gays.

Why do Repukes hate America?

[highking1979]

06:37 PM on 09/23/2010

And this is the problem with our government right now. Instead of doing what is right, the GOP would rather do what works to win seats. Nevermind the brave men and women who serve while being discriminated against, what about the fact that now our military won't get the funding it needs because our politicians can't and won't stand up for whats right.

[Chris1962]

12:48 AM on 09/24/2010

Have you ever wondered why the White House doesn't want people paying any attention to Fox? Could it possibly be for the same reason the Nixon White House didn't want anybody reading the Washington Post? http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/09/23/white-house-objects-federal-judges-injunction-dont-ask-dont-tell/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fpolitics+%28Internal+-+Politics+-+Text%29&utm_c

[Anaxamenes]

08:10 PM on 09/29/2010

Um, because FOX is great at selling people on baseless ideas?