Forces Pushing Obama to Act on Gays in Military

[alp227]

Source: Elisabeth Bumiller, The New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Obama and top Pentagon officials met repeatedly over the past year about repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the law that bans openly gay members of the military.

But it was in Oval Office strategy sessions to review court cases challenging the ban — ones that could reach the Supreme Court — that Mr. Obama faced the fact that if he did not change the policy, his administration would be forced to defend publicly the constitutionality of a law he had long opposed.

As a participant recounted one of the sessions, Mr. Obama told Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, that the law was “just wrong.” Mr. Obama told them, the participant said, that he had delayed acting on repeal because the military was stretched in two wars and he did not want another polarizing debate in 2009 to distract from his health care fight.

But in 2010, he told them, this would be a priority. He got no objections.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/us/politics/01military.html

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Meanwhile, House minority leader John Boehner said on Meet the Press this morning that debating DADT now would distract from unemployment and the wars.

[babylonsister]

1. Thank you for that; Obama is now fighting the military on this, as he should. Rec'd. nt

[PacerLJ35]

4. He's the CINC..."fighting the military" is a moot concept...

Obama pushes Congress to change the law, and the military salutes sharply and carries on. One reason why the article stated there were no objections from Gates...why would there be? Obama is THE commander of our military, period. Congress is THE law-making body of this nation, period. The military is bound by those two institutions, period. Officers that don't like the new policy can resign or retire, or they can keep their mouth shut and implement the law.

[babylonsister]

5. Bullshit. He's received a lot of criticism for his stance ...

Now he's, at least in print, fighting back.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/17/dont.ask.dont.tell/

104 retired military brass against 'don't ask-don't tell'

[PacerLJ35]

6. Note that it said "retired military"...that's a bit different than active-duty...

Who cares what retired guys say. They aren't in the military anymore. Those that are currently in active service are still obligated to follow the laws. Retirees can babble all day long about their opinions, but honestly there's absolutely nothing binding in what they have to say.

[No Elephants]

11. So, by the CIC is fighting the military on this, you meant media stuff?

I'm sure that the hundreds who have been discharged over DADT so far since Obama became CIC are gratified that the Obama administration is engaged in a press relations initiative when he had the power to suspend DADT discharges on his Inauguration Day under the Constitution of the United States and under the express provisions of 10 U.S.C. 12305. Ditto those who are forced into the closet while serving and those who will be discharged in the days and months to come.

In 1948, Truman racially integrated the U.S. military with a stroke of his pen. There was no less resistance to that than there is to abolition of DADT. In fact, I'm guessing that there was more. Truman did not go to the media first. He just did what he thought was just, seeing he had the power as CIC to do that.

In a matter with similar ramifications in the military and in the public eye, on January 1977, Carter signed an Executive Order granting amnesty to those who had left the country to avoid the Vietnam War draft. Carter did that before he eveb took his Inauguration Day walk up Pennsylvania Avenue, also a highly controversial matter. Carter did not go to the media, either. He simply did what he thought best for the country, seeing he had the power as Chief Executive to do that.

[sandnsea]

14. No Truman did not integrate with a stroke of a pen

The military fought it for a long time. The Army didn't even have a plan to desegregate until 1951. Court cases continued until the mid-fifties. It was not a stroke of the pen process by a long shot. That's why Obama is trying to do this right, so it's a smooth process without a lot of disruption.

[bluestateguy]

2. Well, then let's just do it, and not waste the time debating it

nt

[Hekate]

3. This is so past time. KnR. nt

[countmyvote4real]

7. Enough already. This is so long overdue. n/t

[Onceuponalife]

8. Fuck John Boehner

Why does one thing have to "distract" from another thing? Aren't Republicans capable of dealing with more than one or two issues at a time? C'mon, Boehner, tell the truth. You hate gays and that's the only reason you oppose this. Fucking dipshit.

[No Elephants]

12. How long has Boehner been President and CIC? Please see Reply 11.

Boehner can talk his head off. So can Obama.

Only one of them, though, has Constitutional and statutory power to act and continues to decline to do so, even denying he has the power to stop forcing people to live a lie and lose their careers.

Once the action is taken and it is made clear that it is not subject to change, Boehner and all like him will STFU--at least in public-- and move on to something else. Because then, it would be badmouthing the military.

[AlbertCat]

19. You hate gays and that's the only reason you oppose this.

He may indeed hate gay people, but it is not the only reason. The main reason is the GOP's "just say no" strategy to anything Obama or the Dems want to do. The GOP uses prejudice as a strategy knowing their base is homophobic, among other things. Just like they use the religious bigotry of the fundies.

[ProgressiveChristian]

9. The time has come

to end this ridiculous policy. LGTBQ Americans have been serving this country honorably for decades. The military has benefitted from their service, while denying their right to be who they are openly.

[alp227]

10. Don't forget the heterosexual military members who've been PERVERTS

Like in the 2003 U.S. Air Force Academy sexual assault scandal, Michael Brown Okinawa assault incident, and many other instances of sexual assault in the military.

[No Elephants]

13. I know you did not mean this, but for the record, perverts and homosexuals are not comparable.

[Toasterlad]

16. Thank You.

[Ian David]

15. Here's an idea: Don't debate it. Just do it. Why is this even controversial any more? n/t

[Toasterlad]

17. Heard All This Before.

Get back to me when they do something besides TALK.

[Nite Owl]

18. This was a distraction in '09?

I'm happy this is finally getting done but it should have been done immediately not when the courts had his back against the wall. Many lives were ruined because of this policy change being delayed. I hope those who were discharged are going to be allowed to be reinstated if that is their wish. Maybe the distraction would have helped the healthcare debate, would have given those teapartiers something other than killing grandma to complain about.