Obama Don't Ask, Don't Tell Ending Consultations Begin

WASHINGTON — The White House says President Barack Obama has begun consulting his top defense advisers on how to lift a ban on gays serving openly in the military.

But the administration won't say how soon that might happen or whether a group of experts will be commissioned to study the issue in-depth, as some Democrats have suggested.

The move enables Obama to say he's making good on his campaign promise to reverse the law, but doesn't lock him into doing so anytime soon. The carefully calculated statement, released this week by White House spokesman Tommy Vietor, leaves enough wiggle room to prevent the hot-button issue from consuming Obama's foreign policy agenda, which is dominated by ending the Iraq war and salvaging operations in Afghanistan.

"The president supports changing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell," Vietor said in the e-mailed statement.

"As part of a long-standing pledge," Obama has begun consulting closely with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen "so that this change is done in a sensible way that strengthens our armed forces and our national security," Vietor said.

The statement was released in response to legislation reintroduced by Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., that would repeal the ban. Tauscher's bill attracted 148 co-sponsors last year, but House leadership never pushed for a floor vote.

Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill support repealing the ban but did not immediately promise to press the issue.

"We got a lot of very big issues, and I think the Department of Defense will be engaging that as well in terms of considering the viability of that policy going forward," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Tuesday.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton sought to open the military to gays as one of his first acts as president. The issue quickly divided Democrats and helped GOP critics cast Clinton as a social liberal out of touch with the military.

Comments

[ruthiefromsocal]

This is a very delicate issue. Simply repealing the don't ask don't tell policy will violate the sexual privacy rights of the overwhelming heterosexual majority who serves in our military. Those who just want a swift ban, have clearly never served or lived in a barrack style living situation. Additionally, if you have individuals enter into a sexual relationship, it brings various emotional elements to the battlefield. This is why Israel, had to separate some of the tasks of men and women. Both men and women have a hard time seeing their "lovers" die. This is not something that can be simply repealed. The other suggestion is to give gay people their own rooms, but then they would be receiving benefits that heterosexuals are not entitled to. This is not something that should be done without a new policy to protecting the rights of EVERYONE involved being put into place. The primary goal of our national defense, is DEFENSE, not promoting a gay agenda to be accepted. If Obama repeals this, then it is possible in 4 years, to have the next president add the gay question back to the application and simply not allow entry into the military. That would a step backwards. To the person who made the comment about racism, there are many people in the military serving side by side of all races and it is not a problem, because their service is not complicated with a sexual relationship. Military folks are not biggots.

[monkeysuit]

The reason it is a good idea to have the don't ask don't tell is for their safety. Let us not forget these men are highly trained to use weapons. Weapons that in the hands of a homophobic person could be deadly. I think in that sense it should be a little different set of rules.

[mitGooner]

Ah, but the policy also allows for the discharge of gays who come out to other service members. Not exactly "protecting" anyone, is it? It's discriminatory, and should be scrapped. At what point will this nation finally figure out that the constitution laid down rights for EVERYONE and not just the straight, white, and Christian folks only?

[KaLaPa111]

There are probably also racists and anti-Semites in the military; should we also prevent Jews, Blacks, Latinos, and Muslims from serving?

[Quaoar]

The gay people who serve in the military are also highly trained to use weapons and are capable of defending themselves.

[hackerblaster]

I hope if he does get this passed he also creates a new military law that protects them from the abuse they will get from homophobics. This will be particularly concerning on Navy ships where everyone is pretty much bunked together. If I were gay and stationed on a ship you can bet your ask it would be 'don't tell' for me. sad but true.

[popart]

If Gay men and women wish to serve their country in the military they deserve to be allowed to admit their sexual preferences same as anyone....i served with gay men when i was in the army stationed in Hawaii and they were good soldiers and good friends.

[ObservantDem]

About time

[Lee Andrew]

It aboout time, gays are serving and always have.


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[jaymcb]

I say if you are homophobic don't join the military.

Also I wonder if all the good people who were discharge can reenlist once this stupid rule is gone.

[PromiseLand]

Are white supremacists allowed in the army?.

[teron678]

yes ...

[hamchunk]

But there are more black supremacists (yes, they exist).

[walk0nwalls]

GOOD

[4 Real]

It's about time. We've let go smart capable people and are recruiting sub-standard candidates, like high school drop outs, skin heads and criminals.
Times have changed and most people don't care anymore. There are already thousands of gays in the military and everybody knows it. Other countries don't have this ban and they don't report any cohesion problems in their regiments.
Let's face it, it's purely a bigoted attitude that needs to go away. If a gay person wants to serve his/her country, then let them. We need all the good people we can get in an all volunteer army.

[NWBrunette]

Study, schmudy. They've been dancing around this issue since before Clinton. Its wrong. It negatively affects the services. It doesn't need to be studied. Fix it now. Stop dancing around for goodness sakes. Enough already.

[trixtah]

I think they'll be "studying" how far the top military brass will throw their toys out of the pram if this gets though.

Of course, the appropriate response to those who bullshit about the "decline in morale" should be "widdums".

[jcwtts1]

I'm waiting for the prop 8 people who were writing about wearing sheets to the inaguration like KKK to make a point to start posting again. I'm not asking for Obama to get a pat on the back because he is doing the right thing. The right thing is the right thing. I'm asking for the idiots who were crying and whining and calling him names to admit that they were wrong, that Obama is a better political mind than they will ever be, and to give the guy the backing he needs to accomplish a progressive agenda. Someone posted a blog this week that said if Obama fails the progressive movement fails. he was right, this is the chance we have to change the world. The next elections look great for us, 2010 and 2012. We will have close to 70 seats in the senate and the GOP, already on the ropes, will be all but defunct. Lets pull together, back the guy we love, and change the world.

J

[jimrs6]

This'll happen about the same time they close Gitmo.....never.

[edgeways]

ah.. if only one could bet with anonymous internet strangers

[MNJim]

Jeebus---about time. It's hard to fathom sometimes just how far out of touch the US is on human rights because of the right-wing nut jobs that seized control of the GOP and crammed their "family values" crap down our throats. I rather enjoyed the headlines a couple of days ago where the Red States are the biggest purchasers of porn; and of course, it's been shown before, those red "family values" states also have the highest divorce rates. Who has the lowest divorce rate? You guessed it----Massachussetts-----guess the Gays aren't really harming too many STR8 marriages there yet.

[aquarius2001]

This president is on a roll!!!!! I love it!