Brody's Notes... DADT: Lady Gaga Steps Up & Silence From The White House

Lady Gaga With DADT Discharged Veterans- 2010 VMA Awards   Photo By Getty Images

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) SEPT 20 | Many Americans following the on-going debacle over the debate to finally repeal 'Don't Ask-Don't Tell,' have noticed that while the President of the United States has elected to remain publicly silent on the eve of the crucial vote in the U. S. Senate on the 2011 Defence Authorisation Bill,  which includes a proviso to end DADT, a 24 year old pop star with a legion of fans and a massive following of over 6.3 million on Twitter, has taken the lead in the momentum to break the threatened Republican filibuster by Senator John McCain. (R-AZ)  

Lady Gaga's latest foray into the political theatre is deadly earnest and very much not a publicity stunt. She has shown an absolute and ironclad dedication to assisting the greater Gay community with equality issues, first highlighted by her participation in the National March for Equality last October. Gaga's absolute sincerity and commitment to the cause of LGBT Equality Rights was very much evident and right up front. 
Late yesterday evening she sent out the following tweet:

"Meet me in Portland, Maine 2moro, 9/20 to help repeal #DADT. I'm holding a Rally + speaking live in Deering Oaks Park http://bit.ly/cO4cY9."

The rally, hosted by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, is being held near the campus of the University of Southern Maine, Portland, later today in Deering Oaks Park at 4PM. According to SLDN spokesperson Trevor Thomas, the singer is standing alongside those veterans discharged under the law.  The organisation is targeting Maine's two Senators, both Republicans, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, of whom, Collins has previously voted to repeal the DADT law.
The vote, scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at 2:15PM, has both democrat and LGBT Equality Rights strategists worried. A total of 60 votes is needed to break the filibuster, and according to the SLDN's executive director, Aubrey Sarvis, in an interview with The Advocate's senior White House correspondent Kerry Eleveld:

“The votes to break Sen. John McCain’s filibuster are not there. Senators Snowe and Collins of Maine are key to breaking the filibuster. With the vote Tuesday, we need everyone supporting repeal to call their senators.” 

UPDATE: From ABCNews, coverage of Lady Gaga's remarks: