Obama To Take On "Don't Ask Don't Tell" At "Right Time": Jones

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will focus "at the right time" on how to overturn the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on gays serving openly in the military, his national security adviser said Sunday.

"I don't think it's going to be – it's not years, but I think it will be teed up appropriately," James Jones said.

The Democratic-led Congress is considering repealing the 1993 law. Action isn't expected on the issue until early next year.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., recently wrote Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates asked to share their views and recommendations on the contentious policy. In Sept. 24 letters, Reid also asked for a review of the cases of two U.S. officers who were discharged from the military because of their sexuality.

"At a time when we are fighting two wars, I do not believe we can afford to discharge any qualified individual who is willing to serve our country," Reid wrote.

Jones said Obama "has an awful lot on his desk. I know this is an issue that he intends to take on at the appropriate time. And he has already signaled that to the Defense Department. The Defense Department is doing the things it has to do to prepare, but at the right time, I'm sure the president will take it on."

As a candidate, Obama signaled support for repealing the law. To the disappointment of gay-rights supporters, he has yet to made a move since taking office in January. The White House has said it will not stop the military from dismissing gays and lesbians who acknowledge their sexuality.

Last year, 634 members of the military were discharged for being gay, or .045 percent of the active-duty U.S. force, according to an Aug. 14 congressional report.

The largest number of gays who were ousted under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy came in 2001, when 1,227 were discharged, or .089 of the force.

The House is considering legislation to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" and allow people who have been discharged under the policy to rejoin the military.

Jones appeared on CNN's "State of the Union."

Comments

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

06:23 PM on 10/06/2009

In the March On DC Oct 10th you will see the Obama symbol for his LGBT supporters, (the Obama circle with the rainbow)......with tire treads across it.

Next Democrat that tells me to shut up and patiently wait in the back of the bus.....will see me exit the bus and WALK.

[clueless JD]

09:57 PM on 10/10/2009

Yes, please find yourself a new party. We're tired of you.

[Phenlandia]

04:12 PM on 10/06/2009

Looks like we have a hypersensitive x-tian moderating today.

[sstrickland]

12:50 PM on 10/06/2009

First let me say that I am in 100% support of equal rights for all gay & lesbian Americans. I believe that the GLBT community is entitled to every right under our constitution as any other citizen. But some of you posting on this site are scary radical. When someone like me who is a progressive liberal that supports gay rights is completely turned off and taken aback by so many negative & mean spirited comments about the president it really hurts your cause. Some of you make the right wing crazies sound moderate. Keep your eye on the ball and remember who our real enemy is. The "WAR" is almost always won by a series of smaller battles. The president will help us win those battles. He is not your enemy.

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

03:14 PM on 10/06/2009

When you say Blah Blah Blah.....BUT......

all that garbage before th BUT......is almost always a LIE.

"some of my best friends are gay, BUT....them wanting EQUALITY is scarrey"

[sstrickland]

04:18 PM on 10/06/2009

I never suggested that "gays wanting Equality is scary". I said that when gays or even democrats in general start attacking each other and acting like right wing thugs.......that is scary and radical. All I'm suggesting is that we should keep focused on our objectives and realize that the president is on our side. Our adversary is the religious right and most republicans in congress. We will meet our objectives much quicker and easier if we direct all of our anger and frustration at the real enemy instead of each other.

[jeremyfive]

03:27 PM on 10/05/2009

Oh, you know, our troops are s-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o fragile, that the mere mention of a same-sex partner causes them to "lose unit cohesion" according to the military commanders.

I have never heard of anyone so flaky and slight-in-spirit that they would 'lose unit cohesion" simply by learning of the reality of the world around them, that is the real relationships of their fellow human beings. No on I know has this problem.

Am I alone in feeling very nervous that our front line of defense consists of such nelly lightweights that they cannot handle real information without "losing unit cohesion"? And why do they not seem to have this problem across the Atlantic? Hard to believe that American soldiers are so overly sensitive and flighty.

[pharmmajor]

02:42 PM on 10/05/2009

I don't want to sound pessimistic, but he's probably gonna keep drawing this out to hold on to gay support while continuing to deny them equal rights.

[NWBrunette]

12:27 AM on 10/08/2009

That would be par for the course, given how he's waffled around or shimmied away from just about every other issue since he arrived in office.

[Josie Wales]

02:06 PM on 10/05/2009

If DADT is actuallt repealled it will give a whole new meaning to the old Navy phrase "all hands on deck".

[DannyGee]

01:49 PM on 10/05/2009

Libertarians don't care what your sexual preference is.

[pharmmajor]

02:41 PM on 10/05/2009

Amen to that.

[BoyInBOYCOTT]

12:24 AM on 10/06/2009

They also don't care if you are broke and starving senior or dying of AIDS

[DannyGee]

10:11 AM on 10/06/2009

true also. under the concept of liberty you get to make your own decisions and live those decisions to the end.

[AnotherAngle]

12:50 PM on 10/05/2009

Since it appears that this would be a relatively effortless bill to repeal, maybe one should consider that the President, perhaps through great thought and introspection, has changed his feelings on the matter.

I have to admit, until today, I haven't heard one peep out of the White House about this issue at all.

[AnotherAngle]

12:22 PM on 10/05/2009

Just out of curiosity, what sort of effort is required of the President to repeal DADT?

[NeoStar9]

12:27 PM on 10/05/2009

None however it can easily be undo unless there is actual law on the books. This is why Congress has to do it. President Obama doing it isn't the answer for a lasting solution.

[AnotherAngle]

12:40 PM on 10/05/2009

So congress writes the law and then the President signs it.

But to repeal DADT, that would only take the stroke of a pen?

[MarkVA71]

11:39 AM on 10/05/2009

He "seems" to have a lot on his desk but from where I'm standing he's flying around the world making lots of pretty speeches...

[NeoStar9]

12:28 PM on 10/05/2009

What do you think he's doing on those flights? Wanting movies? You have seen what the inside of Air Force One looks like right? It's just another office in the end where work can be done. He doesn't have to actually be in the White House to do his job. You do understand this right?

[MarkVA71]

05:13 PM on 10/05/2009

It's a great place to prepare speeches!! =-)

[hbhawaii]

01:23 PM on 10/05/2009

Well maybe you shouldn't stand there, then.

[MarkVA71]

05:14 PM on 10/05/2009

\/\/hatever!

[timberdoodle]

09:33 AM on 10/05/2009

Religious cults need hate fueled causes to keep their flock in line and active in the cult.

Religion depends on the uneducated and uninformed for their primary source of funds and the more they can whip them up in a frenzy the better for the treasuries.

[chewie2008]

09:13 AM on 10/05/2009

Chris Rock on gays in the military - "If they wanna fight, let 'em fight. Cause I ain't fightin! I don't give a f___ if there's a Russian tank rollin' down Flatbush Avenue. I ain't shootin' nobody."

[annie g]

08:35 AM on 10/05/2009

"President Barack Obama will focus "at the right time" on how to overturn the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on gays serving openly in the military, his national security adviser said Sunday."

It is WAY past the right time. The sad part about DADT is that these men and women, who have served with honor and distinction, are told to leave the military because of a sexual orientation. We have men and women in Congress who DO NOT serve this country with honor and distinction and are allowed to stay in office.
There is something inherently wrong with this picture.

[helen]

03:03 PM on 10/05/2009

The right time will be after he is out of office and then he'll say that he just had too much to do... sorry about that folks...

I detect some underlying homophobia in this president's behavior.

[Alarmist]

08:07 AM on 10/05/2009

This is probably the best time to pass this reform. While the wingnuts have their panties in a twist about making sure no one has health care, he can pass this. George Bush did it all the time, take advantage of a time when people were distracted about Topic A to quietly pass measures on Topic B.

[NWBrunette]

12:30 AM on 10/08/2009

Exactly right. And isn't it amazing how so many Dems still haven't figured out what was obvious even to George? Scary.

[mgloraine]

08:00 AM on 10/05/2009

"...with Liberty and Justice for all - except those guys over there!"