Netroots Nation 2010: Harry Reid Makes Promise To Dan Choi To Repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

CBS News:

Reid said, however, that he and the left need each other. And he promised to keep up his end of the bargain with two moves: a commitment to reforming the filibuster, and a moving pledge - made personally to Lt. Dan Choi - to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" law.

Read the whole story: CBS News

Comments

[DK in MS]

07:58 PM on 07/25/2010

Well, I'm leaving for the night, probably to the relief of some, but I wanted to add one last thought that has been developing for a while.

We, as liberals, have a tendency to see injustice and want it ended immediately. In an ideal world, that is how things would work. But we do not live in an ideal world.

Instead, we rely on our elected representatives to make the changes that we believe are needed to end injustice. But like all of us our representatives are human and flawed. So many times we have representatives that know what is important, that know what they should do, but for various reasons (maybe some are concerned about re-election -- maybe some are bought off - maybe some are just plain indifferent) they do not do what they should.

So it is up to us to make them do what is right, but we are bombarded with misinformation. In order to make the changes our country needs, we not only have to know what those changes are, but the actual process on how to make them happen.

It is high time for us to be proactive and for God's sake, stop fighting amongst ourselves. Study civics. Study history. Read the Constitution. CALL YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES. I have called my Senator's office twice this month, just to get some information.

Posting here on HuffPost is fun, but it accomplishes nothing.

Accomplish something.

Good night, and please forgive me for preaching -- I'll be

[DK in MS]

07:59 PM on 07/25/2010

back tomorrow - lol.

[ramal]

06:06 PM on 07/25/2010

So much wasted time, energy and effort for such a non-issue that should have been resolved by Clinton back in 1993. Here we are seventeen years later, still grappling with this and the promised "end" never quite comes. This debacle has become a microcosm of why the larger issues facing this country are never dealt with effectively by the politicians of both parties. America you are a mess.

[DK in MS]

06:56 PM on 07/25/2010

It is frustrating. Thank God we have a President who has a true vision to change these things, and is willing to do what it takes to make the changes.

[Guitanguran]

05:59 PM on 07/25/2010

Here's your trouble:

This from USA Today Jan 2005:

Ian Finkenbinder, an Army Arabic linguist who graduated from the Defense Language Institute in 2002, was discharged from the military last month after announcing to his superiors that he's gay. Finkenbinder, who said his close friends in the Army already knew he was gay, served eight months in Iraq and was about to return for a second tour when he made the revelation official.

Here's the money shot.

"I looked at myself and said, 'Are you willing to go to war with an institution that won't recognize that you have the right to live as you want to,'" said Finkenbinder, 22, who now lives in Baltimore.

"...that you have the right to live as you want to..."

Whatever policy might be in place, this kind of attitude has no place in the military. If Mr. Finkenbinder wanted to exercise his right to live as he wanted to, he shouldn't have joined in the first place.

This isn't glee club. This isn't about being 'inclusive' when it comes to the high school prom. This isn't an exercise in self-actualization or personal fulfillment.

This. Is. War.

[MrWebster]

06:48 PM on 07/25/2010

This from USA Today Jan 1948:

Ian Finkenbinder, an African American who graduated from the Defense Language Institute in 2002, was discharged from the military last month after announcing to his superiors that he's black. Finkenbinder, who said his close friends in the Army already knew he was black, served eight months in the Pacific war and was about to return for a second tour when he made the revelation official.

Here's the money shot.

"I looked at myself and said, 'Are you willing to go to war with an institution that won't recognize that you have the right to live as you want to,'" said Finkenbinder, 22, who now lives in Baltimore.

"...that you have the right to live as you want to..."

[DK in MS]

06:52 PM on 07/25/2010

nice edit.

[rchwel]

07:16 PM on 07/25/2010

Gays have served in the military since the beginging of time, gays died in love of their country, repeal this law and the US will join the 21st century and the brave countris with no discrimination of the military.

[wijg]

05:37 PM on 07/25/2010

Could someone point me to the exact quote by Reid promising to end DADT?

[MrWebster]

06:49 PM on 07/25/2010

I think everybody as asleep at that point.

[rchwel]

07:21 PM on 07/25/2010

No one could have slept, bachman and palin were heard outside yelling "Palin bachman in 2012, 20+12 =32 thats the combined IQ of the quitter and the I collect tax payer subsidies duo.

[tenzenz]

04:36 PM on 07/25/2010

This is another situation where the President could have invoked his power already to HALT the 1000's of dismissals that have occurred under his watch already, while this debacle is debated amongst the Senate Democrats, and the Bigots in the GOP, including Sen. John "The COWARD" McCain. Once again, this President has failed to stand by his supporters, and sits idly by, while 1000's of very qualified Military Personnel who have done their Job, above and beyond the Call of Duty, are being fired. In the end, this will result in our Federal Government being forced to pay out Billions of dollars in retribution, for lost wages, and benefits, due to a clear denial fo the freedom of Rights , and an American's right to the "Pursuit of Happiness".

[DK in MS]

05:53 PM on 07/25/2010

You are wrong. He could not have halted the dismissals.

[cmaciain]

06:07 PM on 07/25/2010

Yes, he could have. He could have issued an order to halt all inquiries under DADT. All pending discharges related to DADT could have been instantly stopped. He did not.

[MrWebster]

06:34 PM on 07/25/2010

New Study: Obama Can Halt Gay Discharges With Executive Order

http://www.palmcenter.org/press/dadt/releases/New+Study+Says+Obama+Can+Halt+Gay+Discharges+With+Executive+Order

SANTA BARBARA, CA, May 11, 2009 – A study released by the Palm Center and written by a team of military law experts shows that the president has the legal authority to end gay discharges with a single order.

[DK in MS]

06:11 PM on 07/25/2010

Hit the enter button too quickly. Sorry for the double response.

But, there is no legal recourse for those who have been dismissed in the past. DADT has been held up in court therefore those dismissed under it (according to law, mind you) have not been discriminated against. Had the courts overturned DADT as unconstitutional, you might be right that people could sue. But because Congress is simply ending DADT without the Court declaring it discriminatory, they will have no grounds for suit.

[cmaciain]

08:06 PM on 07/25/2010

BTW, the American citizen Obama has ordered killed has never been proven to have taken up arms. He has never been proven to be a terrorist. And we are not talking about killing someone on the field of battle. We are talking walking up and killing someone--an American citizen--without trial. Simply because it is believed he is a terrorist although there has been no trials.

Obama may be a Constitutional scholar but he certainly doesn't believe in the Constitutional. Preventative Detention. That's all we need to say.

[Jdaddy1951]

04:15 PM on 07/25/2010

My gut feeling says Choi should have kept the ring when it was given back to him. How do we know Reed and the other Dems don't mean, "We'll repeal this if you vote for it in November"? Why can't we just repeal DADT this week, NOW, YESTERDAY?

[DK in MS]

05:56 PM on 07/25/2010

How do we know?

HR 5136.

[Jdaddy1951]

09:29 PM on 07/25/2010

Elaborate.

[tnlcallen]

04:07 PM on 07/25/2010

Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't Harry Reid been in charge of the Senate since 2006? How long does it take to repeal something like DADT? The Democrats have controlled both houses of the congress with large majorities, and the White House for almost 2 years now. Am I missing something? He must be up for re-election or something.

[tenzenz]

04:40 PM on 07/25/2010

It never would have been signed by ol' "W", and certainly would not have held up to an Override. It is still under the threat of a Filibuster in the Senate, so it won't get through their now, especially with the mid term elections looming, and the GOP and Tea Bags running against this proposal. Those GOP Senators in Congress would no more vote for the repeal of DADT, as they would vote for Immigration Reform. They would be doomed

[DK in MS]

05:59 PM on 07/25/2010

The Republicans will threaten, but will not filibuster the Defense Bill. And in the end many of them will vote for it because their alternative is to be seen as voting against funding the military.

[DK in MS]

06:01 PM on 07/25/2010

Yes, 2006 is correct. It has taken about 17 years to repeal DADT. And yes, you are missing something.

[Contact1972]

03:38 PM on 07/25/2010

Democrats, Republicans and Independents all support the repeal of DADT by large majorities. This is a no brainer and should have been repealed the first month President Obama was in office. Talk about low hanging fruit.

This is what is so frustrating to me. The Republicans continue to drive off the cliff(many cliffs now) but the Democrats get into power and don't use it.

[LLeGrande]

03:49 PM on 07/25/2010

You missed the point.

The cowards of the Democratic Party do not want to do anything for their gay constitutients, including repealing DADT. They only say that they do.

So they let the high ranking homophobes of the Pentagon take the new ball, and run with it. And that ball? We'll do a study and report back on our findings and wishes sometime later.

What's in the study? A questionnaire to the troops asking 'would you want to shower with a gay soldier?'

Here's a better question: Since the military branches have become infested with felons because the Pentagon could not fill the quotas for our unending wars, did they ask this question: Would you want to shower with a felon?

This garbage by Senator Reid is just so much more hypocripsy by the cowardly Democrats.

[ANDPET]

05:27 PM on 07/25/2010

I agree!

[sheoples]

02:48 PM on 07/25/2010

"Reid said, however, that he and the left need each other."

DEMS = PARTY OF NEOCON MODERATES = NOT PARTY OF PROGRESSIVES/LIBERALS.

AMERICA NEEDS A TRUE LIBERAL PARTY

[crosshatchaz]

03:59 PM on 07/25/2010

Take it back. Vote out the moderates. A third party will never be viable in this country any time soon. It will be as "fringe" and attacked as the tea party is.

Take the party back.

[sheoples]

04:22 PM on 07/25/2010

2X

I HEAR YOU..........BUT IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE WITH LEGALIZED BRIBERY.

[ANDPET]

05:27 PM on 07/25/2010

Is it really that easy?

[SilentSolidarity]

05:44 PM on 07/25/2010

Exactly! What we need is a real left-wing party.

[ChangeurMind]

02:05 PM on 07/25/2010

Believing Harry Reid is like believing that BP isn't running the Govt.

[tnlcallen]

04:08 PM on 07/25/2010

Usually I wouldn't agree with a statement like that, but since I heard about the back room dealings for the release of the Lockerbie bomber, I'll believe anything now.

[Jdaddy1951]

04:17 PM on 07/25/2010

The only thing Harry Reid may have going for him right now is that he's running against a rapidly disintegrating teabag candidate name Sharron Angle. Poor Nevadans.

[peowlemeow]

01:49 PM on 07/25/2010

I think it's a human right to love who loves you.Why anybody gets to mess with adults about that is like a malevolent time warp to nowhere but a nightmare.

[Dots]

01:27 PM on 07/25/2010

It can't happen soon enough.

[YoMama]

01:15 PM on 07/25/2010

Talk is cheap, Harry. No votes or money until AFTER you've done it. We're waiting. And waiting.

[jrutle]

01:07 PM on 07/25/2010

Its good that Reid addressed Netroots and he should be applauded for his strong statement on DADT.

On the other matter, though, he still hasn't addressed the core problem with the filibuster: the answer isn't to reform it but to eliminate it all together.

[DK in MS]

03:04 PM on 07/25/2010

I agree that the filibuster is a sticky wicket. I'm not sure how they will shape their "reform," and that makes me rather nervous.

[jrutle]

06:17 PM on 07/25/2010

Same here. I was disappointed with the way HCR was handled last year and the fact that Reid let the Senate get so far out of hand trying to cobble 60 votes together. I wish he'd have used the "nuclear option" to remove filibuster and cloture as a rule altogether. After reading the defense he made of the filibuster in 2005 when Bill Frist threatened the nuclear option over Bush appointments, its disheartening to realize that Reid is very devoted to it. I don't have a great deal of hope for how he'll reform it.

[AFunkyMan]

12:41 PM on 07/25/2010

╔══════════════════════╗
…Basic and Equal rights for all !!….
╚══════════════════════╝

[wonketteRAWKS]

01:12 PM on 07/25/2010

Say it loud man!

[ANDPET]

05:26 PM on 07/25/2010

!!!!!!