The poll results shows solid support for repealing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Which makes it insanely stupid for Democrat Carl Levin to be negotiating with John McCain to strip the DADT repeal language from the defense appropriations bill. You know Levin has miscalculated when Joe Lieberman is on the right side of the issue.

“The Senate has passed a defense bill for 48 consecutive years. We should not fail to meet that responsibility now, especially while our nation is at war,” Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said in a joint statement on Tuesday. “We must also act to put an end to the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy that not only discriminates against but also dishonors the service of gay and lesbian service members.”

I agree with Matt Yglesias that Republicans filibustering the defense appropriations bill would be a politically losing proposition.

The White House seems to be getting the message. It is amazing how the Obama administration wants to cater to the base after a bruising midterm election. This is why I continue to say progressives shouldn't be Democratic apologists. The only way to get good legislation passed is to put pressure on Democratic leaders. Remember, the White House killed a DADT repeal amendment when it had super-majorities in 2009.