Obama National Security Adviser Doesn't Know If "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Will Be Repealed

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's national security adviser says allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military is in the early discussions.

But retired Marine Gen. James Jones says it's very preliminary in a very busy administration.

Jones said Sunday he's not sure if the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy would be overturned, although Obama has said he wants it eliminated. Jones said the decision to go forward lies with the president.

For now, Jones says, "We have a lot on our plate right now."

To change the Clinton-era policy, Obama would need Congress' approval. Recent polls suggest public support but the White House faces other challenges with lawmakers, such as passing his budget and health care plan.

Jones spoke on ABC's "This Week."

Comments

[somsoc]

It will be a national shame and a national tragedy if Congress does not eliminate this absolutely absurd policy and move our military into the 20th century. We can wait a few more decades for the 21st century, but this is not only an embarrassment, it is wrong, it is a violation of Civil Rights and Equal Protection.

[AAKAlan]

The 21st century would be even better! :-)

[somsoc]

Yes but the military needs to take baby steps.

[jcwtts1]

It isn't a civil rights violation LGBT isn't a suspect class. I end up posting this a lot and someone on one of the threads did a heck of a better job than i did, but here is the point, the supremes ruled and enumerated a group of people who face discrimination and listed them as protected by federal law. They were: Race, Sex, Nationality, Disability (mental and physical), Religion, Ethnicity, Military Service (i.e. soldiers returning from Vietnam etc, and soldiers called to active duty from the reserves). I can't remember any others but look up the case law. Orientation was specifically left out. Specifically. The reason DADT is legal is because LGBT isn't a suspect class.

J

[jcwtts1]

OK, here is a basic political primer, call it politics 101. Stop demanding things of the POTUS. I'm not saying you can't ask for things, I am not saying you can't lobby for things, but demanding is a bad technique. Further, when the POTUS sends you a handwritten letter expressing his private support of your political issue, don't post it to a website as a means of forcing him to do what you want. President Obama isn't that guy, he isn't the person you push around. If you want to have a frank conversation about your issues then be prepared to have a frank conversation back. The LGBT community has been playing this all wrong. I get the strong emotions surrounding the issue but you are acting like civil rights transcends politics rather than it being the most political of all political issues. This is politics not civil rights. If you want civil rights go to court and keep winning those cases. 5-0 right, that should tell the opposition something. Every time you end up in state court you win on gay marriage. Know why? Because you are right. Stop acting like we don't agree with you, we do. But this is a political fight, step back and let the politicians fight it.

J

[LittleSanityLeft]

A coherent sensible point that will quickly get lost in emotive cries of justice now and other such true yet equally pointless statements that don't realistically look at the whole picture and don't take any account of the politics involved.

[kmswriter]

This is a religious freedom fight as well - President Obama will get there - and you are right we do agree with the removal of DADT - but right now we need to try and make things right in the mideast - we have done some pretty bad stuff - and the factions within the military need to be ready set go - with clearly defined rules and regulations to make it work -

J - try to understand there is alot of pent up emotion surrounding this issue - people have lost jobs because of DADT - and for what? Just like religeous freedom in the military.

[dennybop]

Let me see if I've got this right. Politicians will fight this one out and eventually get it right. When will this take place? Long after the soldiers who lost their jobs because of DADT are dead? Well after they've had an opportunity to serve? Long after they've had the opportunity to be vindicated? Politicians would never touch this issue if they could get away with it.

I'm not sure why "making things right in the Middle East" prevents our government from acting on any or all other issues. Our system of government may not be perfect, but I'm sure it's quite capable of addressing DADT and our decades-long entanglement in the Middle East. The Isreai Army found time-years ago-to address the issue of gays in their military. All the while they seemed to have their sights on issues in the Middle East.

Politics being more important than civil rights is a novel theory....come to think of it, it's not so new. We seem to have just emerged from being held hostage to that particular sophistry.

[PlaceboStudman]

The truly smart thing to do is to have a multifaceted strategy. Some people will fight in the courts, some people will fight on the streets, and others who do not have the resources to do that will take to the internet and use the power of our voices to get our message across. This fight will not be won using a single tactic, it will be won by using a complex strategy that employs various tactics on the local, state and federal levels all working together against opposition on all of those levels

[Burnsey]

gee whiz, where were you over the last 8 years. Stop demanding of the President? I'm sorry, but haven't we been demanding things from our president over the last decade? Did we not demand things from Bush? Why is it acceptable to demand things from a republican president, but not a democratic president? The hypocrisy of the statement is astounding.

really, don't demand things from your president, what nation do you think you are living in? We have been demanding things of outr Presidents for well over 200 years. That is the nature of a DEMOCRACY.

[sueinmn]

Its just too bad that the military personnel wouldnt ban together on this and EVERY ONE OF THEM CLAIM TO BE GAUY! Watch them fire the entire lot!

Today the gays are yesterdays colored people. Such discrimination will always happen it just seems to move from one group to another! This is FACISM folks. Using a certain minority group as a public scapegoat! This is a right wing homophobic issue and needs to end! Our diverse society can afford no more discrimination and the majority party of Democrats need to make legal changes to end all discriminations! What we do or choose to do in privacy should have no bearings on anyone elses life. Who are YOU to judge others and I would like to see this posed to the military heads! They are going way beyond the powers of control!

[kmswriter]

sueinmn - you are exactly right - President Obama will get there - but right now he will try to keep the evangelical peace for now. This related to another effort in the military

[PlaceboStudman]

Funny how so few people realize just how big the "purely symbolic" gesture of inviting Rick Warren to the inauguration really was. That right there alone told me that gays would be dismissed and ignored and abused even more than we already are.

[Anonani]

Will all of the colored people please stand up to be counted?

[jcwtts1]

easy with the "colored people" nonsense.

J

[sueinmn]

Do you deny the discriminations that have been suffered far too long? didnt mean to offend, just stating the discrimintation that has been suffered far too long!

[Nardwilly]

Before DADT it was against the law for homosexuals to serve in the military. The military was required to determine homosexuality and kick people out after prosecution. Now the law is if the service peson keeps it private and confidentia,l the military will not try to find out; don't ask, don't tell. This allows homosexuals to serve in secret. It is the law, not a policy. Nobody in the world "knows if it will change", because nobody can know what laws will be passed by the US Congress.

Accurate statements of fact are not policv positions. HIs statement has no meaning beyond a recitation of a truth about he DADT law.

[NWBrunette]

Are all the interior colors in your house black and white? Maybe a little gray? Sheesh. There is a real world debate going on about this. Most think there was just a little bit more meaning to his public statement then a simple recitation.

[PlaceboStudman]

So it's okay for the military, a branch of the federal government, to condone lying and deceit because it offends a few closedminded outdated homophobes?

Oh wait, I forgot, this is the federal goverment, lying and deceit is part of the game.

Never mind

[sueinmn]

Look whats happening to the majority of young people today, few with religious ties. The military will also end up this way! Few interested in serving! Time has changes and tomarrow will be much different than yesterday. Our present military has been under extreme right wing rule far too long! Some of the earlier stories about the anger (military heads) against Obama bordered treasonous activities!

[kmswriter]

Of course it the brass of the military arm who will pushback the loudest -

if you have read the latest Harpers article "Jesus Killed Mohammed - the christian crusade to convert the us military" by Jeff Sharlet you would understand that retire Marine General James Jones is a regular on the prayer breakfast circuit.

Gates is still there as well as Sec. of the Army Pete Geren.....'nuff said.

[PlaceboStudman]

I wish I could say I'm surprised, and that I never saw this coming. But, frankly I saw this coming a thousand miles away years ago.

Oh well....

[DCDemInsider]

DONNIE McGLURKIN MIGHTA BEEN A CLUE!

Ya think?

[PlaceboStudman]

Rick Warren was the big clue for me. I knew the moment he was invited to the inauguration that we in the LGBT community would be ignored and disrespected (even more than we already are by the Christian Wrong...er­r...Right)

[nanucks]

Polls all depend on how questions are asked. Allowing gay to serve in the military is not a "gay agenda", it ia civil rights agenda. Maybe if it presented in that way, there may be a different result.

Either way, it is irrelevant whether the members of the military poll as bigots or homophobic. Any one who passes the psychological and physically tests should be allowed to serve--period.

[rphillips4165]

First let me say I am a gay man. I would love it if this would pass. But I wonder if Obama is trying to pass health care before this. Do you honestly believe that if he passed this first every homophobe in the country wouldn't come out against anything Obama did afterwords. Everyone just thinks Obama can pass anything he wants. The president doesn't have that kind of power. Think to yourself, wich would you rather have gays open in the military, or health care for everyone?

[PlaceboStudman]

Considering the federal government is killing me (via the FDA and its incestuous symbiotic relationship with BigPharma), frankly, I would have liked to see *some* movement on DADT and DOMA before I die. But, that isn't likely to happen, and the reforms in health care that need to occur that would have helped me aren't even being discussed, so I really don't see much hope either way for me

[MarkVA71]

Good argument! :)

On first reading this headline I was a bit miffed but after reading your comment I could read it more reasonably. People need to quit with the knee jerk reactions, count to ten, and then think about things more clearly.

[NWBrunette]

So he issues the order to not fire someone because of DADT, and then all these homophobes will come out against healthcare...now these are people who weren't ALREADY coming out against healthcare. Really? And how many of them do you think there are? Like more than 200? 1000 perhaps? Like enough to actually make it worthwhile to delay stopping discrimination? Sincerely, I don't think so.

[PlaceboStudman]

Most of the original crafters and implementers of DADT have long since come out (pun FULLY intended) and said that DADT was basically just made up and implemented to placate the Religious Right Republican homophobes who made up the majority of military brass at the time.

[RobHughey]

I want affordable healthcare for everyone AND our nation and its government to start treating members of the GLBT community as if they're equal citizens.

Is that honestly too much to ask? If it is, then a value reevaluation needs to take place.

[DocSyracuse]

Someone asked for a poll of the military re: DADT- here's one I found:

Friday, January 02, 2009



Military Times Poll: Troops Oppose Gay Agenda for the Military [Elaine Donnelly]


The Military Times, a liberal Gannett publication favoring inclusion of professed homosexuals in the military, has just released an astonishing poll of active-duty subscribers. Results of the 2008 annual survey indicate that success for that cause essentially would destroy the volunteer force.

As in previous years, the annual Military Times Poll (linked on Drudge today) reveals that approximately 58% of respondents are opposed to efforts to repeal what the survey described as the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.” The catchphrase incorrectly labels the 1993 law, Section 654, Title 10, which clearly states that homosexuals are not eligible to be in the military.

The 2008 Military Times Poll asked a new question that produced jaw-dropping results: “If the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy is overturned and gays are allowed to serve openly, how would you respond?” The article emphasized that 71% of respondents said they would continue to serve. But almost 10% said “I would not re-enlist or extend my service,” and 14% said “I would consider not re-enlisting or extending my service.” Only 6% expressed “No Opinion.” Before voting to repeal the law, Section 654, Title 10, members of Congress, and President-elect Barack Obama, ought to do the math.

[RainbowPhoenix]

Only four points below the national average.

[dc2nm]

It is not about what the military members want...it is the civil rights.

[From the Raft]

Did Bush "do the math" and decide to torture? This is a country of laws not polls.

[bascombe]

how'd they come up with that anyway? Oh yeah! Clinton, the best (D)republuKKKan money could buy.

[antaeus]

That would be Sam Nunn. Check your facts, junior.

[DocSyracuse]

But Clinton signed the policy into law- which, I think, was bascombe's point.

[DocSyracuse]

He signed NAFTA too.

[DocSyracuse]

And Welfare reform.

[MarkVA71]

and DOMA

[Paulo1]

Attention gays. Please stand a little closer to the curb.

Getting pushed under the bus again I bet.

Or perhaps we are being tempted with DODT so that we can feel all rosy when they push us under on marriage equality. Till I see some progress on our rights I will remain highly skeptical while trying desperately to be hopeful.

[kforce]

In a nutshell.

[YellowDogInRedCounty]

Indeed.

[PlaceboStudman]

Hell, I'm being run over by a fleet of Green energy efficient buses, because I'm disabled and terminally ill. Even if I make it to '12, and there's a 90% chance I won't, if I had to vote today, I'd vote "None of the above"

[S1m0n]

This is a 'back of the bus' policy that's intolerable in a nation which makes a pretense of equal rights for its citizens.

[bascombe]

yep! PRETENSE!!!

[jimrs6]

Positioning this as equal rights is not applicable. There is no right to be in the armed forces. It's a policy question,

[AAKAlan]

Bull.

There is a Constitutional Right to equal protection under the Law. Treating some differently from others because of who they make love to is a violation of the Constitution.

As the Supreme Court has recently found in its overturn of Sodomy laws nationwide.

[bboyy]

its going to happen

[mcantwell]

I believe it will.

[hapiday]

Everytime the republican party calls the democrats socialist I know the president is close to giving us the change he campaigned on. Keep the socialist rants coming because it means the president is on the right track.

[DocSyracuse]

Is socialism "the right track"?

[RainbowPhoenix]

Except he's not actually a socialist.

[MarkVA71]

Hell yeah! It beats dog eat dog capitalism any day!

[hapiday]

"KoolAidAmerica hows the changge thing working?"

The change thing is working just great!!! It's working so well that President Obama is making the Republicans denounce their own party. The "CHANGE" is working so well that the Republicans don't know if they want to be moderates, secede from the union, "CHANGE" their letter from (R) to (D). "ChANGE" is working so well that the Republicans don't know if they want a teaching tour, a learning tour a listening tour, tea party or a torture tour.

President Obama is causing the Republican party to "CHANGE". Is that enough change for ya?