Senate Repeals 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

Almost a formality after this morning's successful vote to kill a Republican filibuster, but historic nonetheless: The Senate repealed the military's ban on openly gay service members this afternoon by a vote of 65-31, reports AP. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law next week, though it could take up to a year for Don't Ask, Don't Tell to be formally lifted because of military reviews required by law, notes MSNBC.

“We righted a wrong,” said Joe Lieberman, who with Susan Collins co-sponsored the measure. “Today we’ve done justice.” In the end, eight Republicans joined Democrats, including the expected (Collins, Olympia Snowe, George Voinovich, Lisa Murkowski, and Scott Brown) and the day's surprises (Richard Burr, John Ensign, and Mark Kirk), notes Politico.