Good news, bad news.
First, the good news:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the Senate will take a final vote Saturday afternoon on legislation that would overturn the U.S. military's ban on openly gay troops.
The vote on ending the "don't ask, don't tell" policy is set for 3 p.m. (2000 GMT) before senators turn to a nuclear arms treaty with Russia. Passage would send the military measure to the White House.
Senators cleared the way for final action with a 63-33 vote earlier Saturday to move the bill ahead.
Now, the really crappy news:
A measure that would have offered provisional legal status to some adults who came to America illegally as children failed to advance in a Senate vote Saturday.
Democratic backers of the legislation fell short of the 60 votes to move the DREAM Act legislation forward. Democratic Sens. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Jon Tester of Montana, Max Baucus of Montana, Kay Hagan of North Carolina, and Ben Nelson of Nebraska voted against bringing the bill to the floor; Republican Sens. Richard Lugar, Lisa Murkowski, and Robert Bennett voted for it.
The vote was 55-41.
It's a sad world when Lisa Murkowski has more political courage than Jon Tester. Well, at least progressives can start whittling down their list of which Democrats they will support in 2012.
We'll be back when DADT passes. The vote is set for 3 pm EDT (noon Pacific).
