Reid calls on Obama to show leadership in helping repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

[ruggerson]

Source: Raw Story

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has personally called on President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates to show “leadership” in helping Congress repeal the law banning openly gay soldiers from serving in the US military.

In a letter penned to Obama Sept. 24, Reid reiterated his opposition to the so-called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy which allows gays to serve in the military as long as they don’t come out, and highlighted the cases of two servicemembers who are set to be expelled for revealing their sexual orientation.

“Last month, I had the opportunity to be the keynote speaker at the Las Vegas Human Rights Campaign gala dinner,” he wrote, referring to the D.C.-based gay rights lobby group. “At the dinner, I was introduced to First Lieutenant Daniel Choi, a West Point graduate who served honorably in Iraq and was an Arab lingust. This past April, … Lt. Choi receive a discharge letter from the Army after he publicly revealed that he is gay. According to published reports, Lt. Choi’s fellow soldiers knew he was gay, but most cared more about his strong leadership of his unit rather than his sexual orientation.”

President Obama has said that he supports the repeal of the military’s ban on gay soldiers. He hasn’t, however, used his executive authority to suspend the policy, as gay rights activists have called on him to do. More than two hundred gay servicemembers have been expelled from the military since Obama took office in January.

“I… request that you bring to Congress your recommendations on ,” Reid said. “Your leadership in this matter is greatly appreciated and needed at this time.”

Read more: http://rawstory.com/2009/10/reid-calls-on-obama-to-show-leadership-in-helping-repeal-dont-ask-dont-tell/

[Thothmes]

1. Why is Reid sitting on his fat ass

Only Congress can repeal DADT.

[FiveGoodMen]

3. Maybe...

Obama's current position is that Congress has exclusive authority to lift the ban. However, in May 2009, a committee of military law experts at the University of California at Santa Barbara concluded that it is within the authority of the executive branch to discontinue the policy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DADT

[Thothmes]

10. The President has the authority to suspend

discharges under the DADT policy for reasons of military necessity. This may be a usable short term policy. Only Congress can repeal the law that impliments the DADT policy. That is the long term solution.

[No Elephants]

14. So what? Where has the suspension been? Not as though we have an excess of military, especially

Arab speaking.

Further, if Obama suspended this policy, I doubt any President would reinstate it. So, it very well could be both a short term and a long term fix.

[msongs]

2. haryy, u weak knee'd spineless repub lite just INTRODUCE legislation to end DADT nt

[BlueJac]

5. You must be talking about the entire bunch in DC

They all have weak knees, including Obama (change I can't believe in) I am so sick of the no change movement I have lost all "HOPE"

[maglatinavi]

22. weak knees

I am disgusted with Obama's weak knees... really, I am ...what about "change" and "we can"??? I was a Hillary person and wrote her name in ... she would have taken action on the health reform and the reform would have been passed as law before Teddy's passing... and ... the don't ask don't tell would be a thing of the past ...How sad!!!:kick: :kick: :kick:

[CTLawGuy]

23. Iraq war voting Hillary clinton

yeah RIGHT.

[Vidar]

4. Reid has no right to ask leadership of anyone.

[zbdent]

6. Obama to Reid: "Back me up sometime, bub ..."

[DissedByBush]

7. It's stupid anyway

A good number of the friends I had in the Army were gay.

They didn't disrupt anything and they were as good as any other soldiers on average.

Except for one. He was the exceptional hard-core sergeant that the higher-ups loved.

I would have paid to see the looks on their faces if they had found out he was gay.

[Dr Fate]

8. LOL! Reid is calling for someone to show leadership? LOL! LOL! LOL!

That's like Rush Limabaugh calling on someone to tell the truth.

[defendandprotect]

9. Could we get some buttons for Dems? MEDICARE FOR ALL/MARRIAGE FOR ALL . . .

and DOWN WITH DON'T ASK/DON'T TELL --

[No Elephants]

15. Don't forget DOMA!

[and-justice-for-all]

11. If they put that repeal on Obama's desk, he will sign it...

just get it through congress...

[joeycola]

12. I wish Obama would show some real leadership on this important

issur--to make gays first class citizens. Also on the public option. He seems to push it off to congress--on both issues.

[justiceischeap]

13. Here's my take on this request

If Obama shows "leadership" on this issue, then the Congress critters sitting on the fence, may fall in line with his opinion. That would be the logical reasoning in asking for leadership.

[No Elephants]

16. Great. When Reid finally stands up to someone, it's another Democrat.

[bemildred]

17. When does Reid plan to "show leadership" about something?

We've been waiting a long time for him to "step up" and get something good done.

[Romulox]

18. I think Reid is scared for his own political life.

It's bad PR for him to underscore a comparison to anyone's leadership, that's for sure.

[FlyByNight]

19. Has Sen. Reid forgotten his job title?

He's the Senate Majority LEADER; his position is self-explanatory. Granted, I think Pres. Obama could be more vocal about this but having Sen. Reid call for "leadership", on practically anything, is laughable.


:eyes:

[mitchtv]

20. Kettle, Meet Pot

don't pay any attention to that guy behind the curtain , either

[DebbieCDC]

21. Reid calling on someone to show leadership?

Oh please, spare me

[TankLV]

24. ahhh - that's nice - but shouldn't Harry be concerned with trying to get HEALTH CARE first?

Sorry, but this issue is NOT important AT ALL right now!!!

I smell a rat - and that is HARRY REID!!!

He's only trying to distract from his refusal to push for a STRONG Public Option and his constant capitulating to REPUKES!!!

He's a fucking MORMON for chrissakes!!!