DADT: A Political Disaster Entirely of Obama’s Making

[Better Believe It]

DADT: A Political Disaster Entirely of Obama’s Making
By: Jon Walker
November 15, 2010

With chances fading quickly that Congress will end the policy of “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” The Hill has concluded this will be a political disaster for Obama.

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) may not be able to secure enough votes to pass the bill because of language repealing the ban on gays in the military. Stripping that provision may be the only way to pass the legislation, which authorizes funding and sets policy for the Pentagon.

But abandoning the effort to repeal the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy would be a political disaster for President Obama, who made a campaign promise to end the ban."

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/129091-dont-ask-dont-tell-presents-dilemma-for-dems-in-passing-defense-bill

It is important to remember that this is a political disaster entirely of Obama’s own creation. If Obama had made a strong push for the repeal of DADT, but was completely thwarted by Republicans, then the LGBT community would probably be disappointed, but not necessarily angry with Democrats.

This is a political disaster because Obama made no serious effort to twist arms for a repeal of DADT. More importantly, he is the Commander in Chief–the day Obama took office, he could have single-handedly issued a stop-loss order ending discharges under DADT. Yet even weeks after the Senate failed to pass legislation dealing with DADT, Obama refuses to use his power to end the dismissals.

The political disaster isn’t that Obama promised to end DADT, tried, and failed. He promised to end DADT, yet refuses to doing anything about it despite having the power. The real political disaster in his handling of DADT is that it has proven to an entire community that the president will promise action to one group, but do nothing to actually advance the cause–rendering all future promises suspect.

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/11/15/dadt-a-political-disaster-entirely-of-obamas-making/

And I might add that President Obama didn't have to appeal the federal court ruling that DADT is unconstitutional. He could have left the ruling stand, and that would be the end of DADT. BBI

[defendandprotect]

1. Not only is it a disaster but now left open for the GOP to make hay of it!!

And it is very sad, indeed, that Obama hasn't given some constructive leadership to

this -- and especially that they have fought the liberalizing effect of the court's

ruling -- and that obama hasn't spoken on this to Americans!!

Disgusting!!

[struggle4progress]

2. A senseless analysis does not become sensible by mere repetition

[laconicsax]

5. I think you're failing to consider the broader historical context. n/t

[EFerrari]

7. Nor do non sequiturs become coherent by virtue of their brevity. n/t

[struggle4progress]

14. The GOP for a decade and a half has used gay rights issues as wedge-drivers:

they have done it in the most calculating manner

The analysis -- by which DADT, a law passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton, after he failed to eliminate restrictions on military service, suddenly represents nothing except President Obama's alleged bad faith on the issue (despite his repeated public calls for repeal) -- makes no sense: it survives, as an analysis, only because Republican wedge-drivers have continued to push it relentlessly -- and so it has been taken up, as an analysis, by people who have no clue about the legislative process, by people too lazy to do the hard work of bean-counting Congressional votes, by people who do nothing except snark, and by a host of similar shoddy thinkers

[Safetykitten]

3. HCR, DADT, he just needs one more colossal failure to make it three,

[msanthrope]

4. I'm sorry--did the Senate vote? Did Cook v Gates go away?

Seriously---did the vote happen???

Did Cook v. Gates vanish????

[Tx4obama]

6. Here's some new info regarding the senate on the link below

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4615968

[Better Believe It]

9. I'm sorry--didn't a federal judge overturn DADT? Oh, President Obama challenged the ruling. Sorry.

[msanthrope]

11. Really? Cook v Gates got overruled? When did that

happen?

[Better Believe It]

16. "Federal judge overturns DADT!" It was in all the papers and on the internet.

How did you miss it?

Federal judge overturns DADT!

http://www.seattlegayscene.com/2010/09/federal-judge-overturns-dadt.html

[msanthrope]

17. Wrong case.

Try reading Cook v. Gates.

Then, explain to me just how a district court ruling in the 9th overrules an appellate court ruling in the 1st. Perhaps you could also include an explanation as to how one resolves a circuit split without appealing.

I'd be interested. But first, read the right case.

[Better Believe It]

20. Where's your .... pardon the expression .... missing link?

And why do you think the Obama administration appeal the judges ruling that DADT is unconstitutional?

Obama didn't have to .... unless the administration took the position that DADT discrimination is just fine and should be legal.

Do you think DADT is constitutional, non-discriminatory and fair?

I don't.

How about you?

[msanthrope]

21. The entire point of Cook v. Gates

is that DADT is constitutional.

That's the ruling of an appellate court in the 1st--from last year.

Now, you have a district court in the 9th that disagrees.

So, without appeal, how do you resolve the circuit split?



Is DADT constitutional? As a matter of law, it is. It is bigotry enshrined in law. It is wrong. It is unfair. But, currently, it is constitutional.

That's why it MUST be repealed.

[donheld]

8. Mr Strong Advocate

[JamesA1102]

10. Anything that comes out of FDL should be taken with a grain of salt

That site has proven to be anti-Obama over and over. They have about as much credibility as FAUX news.

[justiceischeap]

12. It's okay to be anti-Obama on some issues

I am anti-Obama on all gay issues because like most politicians, be it D or R, they make promises to garner votes and then conveniently break those promises when it seems they will lose political clout because of them. It's happened time and again to the gay community. Like the OP said, Obama could have kept his promise by issuing a stop-loss presidential order and then had the Congress critters work to repeal DADT. He keeps his promise and works to change the laws permanently as well. Instead, we have to watch HIS judicial department DEFEND DADT in the courts. That certainly doesn't seem like he's going to keep the promise of repealing DADT by this years' end. So yeah, I'm definitely Anti-Obama on this and other gay issues that he and his party are falling down on.

[JamesA1102]

18. There is a difference in being anti-Obama and

disagreeing with him on some issues. The problem with FDL is that they are anti-Obama on every issue.

[kctim]

13. A disaster?

If only that many people cared about it.

[VMI Dem]

15. DADT is Obama's law now.

[David Zephyr]

19. K&R.

.

[terrya]

22. K&R

Good analysis. Spot-on.