Lindsey Graham: 'Don't Ask Don't Tell Is Not Going Anywhere'

WASHINGTON -- Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) predicted on Sunday that the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy would not be repealed during the remaining weeks Congress is in session this calendar year.

The South Carolina Republican, a proponent of the law banning openly gay service in the armed forces, said definitively that there was no support for repeal on the Republican side of the aisle. He called for an additional study to determine whether the military itself favored overturning the 17-year-old legislation.

"This is a political promise made by Senator Obama when he was running for president," said Graham, during an appearance on Fox News Sunday. "There is no groundswell of opposition to Don't Ask, Don't Tell coming from our military. This is all politics. I don't believe there is anywhere near the votes to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. On the Republican side, I think we will be united in the lame duck [session] and the study I would be looking for is asking military members: Should it be repealed, not how to implement it once you as a politician decide to repeal it. So I think in a lame duck setting Don't Ask, Don't Tell is not going anywhere."

Graham is, by virtue of the fact that he has served in the military (as a JAG lawyer), widely considered a leading GOP spokesman on defense matters. With respect to DADT, however, it's unclear to what extent his concerns reflect those of his colleagues. While Graham's top ally in the chamber -- Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) -- has also moved the goalposts for DADT repeal, others have been more sympathetic to revising or overturning the law. That list includes Sens. Lisa Murkowksi (R-Alaska), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and even Jon Ensign (R-Nev.).

Comments

[Mark Godbey]

08:50 PM on 12/02/2010

This all about politics and posturing. Senator Graham is right. Start working on jobs, or we will take over the Senate, too!!

[canthhavethefish]

11:21 PM on 12/04/2010

Right. Because the economy is more important than civil rights. How about you exchange your rights with the LGBT community, and we'll see which issue is more pressing then. If Graham wants to get stuff done, than perhaps he should stop blocking everything that comes through the senate. If he wants to get to jobs in the next few months, then he should get this passed extra fast.

[Oceras]

07:04 PM on 12/02/2010

Is this a first?
Is this the first time ever that congressional Republicans have shown a resolve to deny a request for anything by the Pentagon?

[truthisneeded]

10:14 PM on 11/30/2010

Father Farrow mentions something very interesting

"It is critical for LGBTQ people and the vast majority of Americans who support the repeal of DADT to know that its repeal, or failure to repeal, rests primarily on the shoulders of Barack Obama. If he fails to provide leadership on this issue and take effective and decisive action, DADT will be stripped from the appropriations bill and the discriminatory policy will continue in place.

Federal Judge Virginia Phillips has ruled DADT unconstitutional; however, Obama chose to appeal that ruling and actively sought a stay to Judge Phillips order that the Armed Forces immediately stop the enforcement of DADT.

The fact that DADT is still the law of the land is because President Obama has fought for it to remain in place. He claims that he has appealed Judge Phillips' ruling on principle. If he now fails us again by choosing not to aggressively push for the repeal of DADT in the lame duck session, then we need to hold him responsible and accountable for this betrayal."

It is also interesting to me that the Executive can stop Judicial decisions.

I wish some President or some Congress could have stopped Scalia, Kennedy, Rehnquist O'Connor and Thomas from their seemingly abuse of power in 2000.

[IAmNoOne]

12:57 PM on 12/18/2010

Yes, we must punish him by voting for a republican who is actually for the policy. That's sound reasoning.

[cminca]

07:58 PM on 11/30/2010

How much longer do you think it will be before Lindsey gets caught paying for help with his luggage?

[pceasy]

09:36 PM on 12/01/2010

1-2 years.

[Ron1951]

05:51 PM on 11/30/2010

why is a reference to Kristalnaght--a truly horrible bit of history--enough to keep getting posts deleted by the HP?

[Skiwee]

05:33 PM on 11/30/2010

Betcha he self flagellates nightly.

[Ron1951]

02:09 PM on 11/30/2010

Odd how a JAG lawyer cannot make any legal points against DADT. Ever wonder why? You should.

[carnitine]

11:34 AM on 11/30/2010

Whats funny I thought he was gay. But this guy is on point about the absurdity of fighting for DADT
http://twitter.com/samhusseini/status/27532878115

[truthfinderddw]

09:53 AM on 11/30/2010

Mr. Graham, You maybe a well liked Senator from S. Carolina but thats where your outdated, self-serving, self-preservation popularity ends! You Sir are a Fraud!

[Ron1951]

02:10 PM on 11/30/2010

he's the best that South Carolina has to offer. Perhaps you prefer their other senator, Jim DeMint.

[marthamothra]

06:48 PM on 11/30/2010

Neither. They're both frauds.

[rladdi]

09:07 AM on 11/30/2010

Most of the changes that the Republicans are for, the majority of the American citizens are against. Just look at the polls. The Republicans are dictators, like Bush. They are not for the American people. Just for the rich guys only.

[opinionessays]

09:13 AM on 11/30/2010

Opponents of DADT complain that the policy as enforced prevents gays from “telling”, but permits investigators to “ask” when suspicion arises. As such, the problem should be solvable by simply enforcing the “don’t ask” portion more faithfully – ideally, to perfection.

Further, there’s no inherent value of gays serving “openly.” That is, the benefits accruing to society from gays serving openly do not outweigh the benefits of having a ready, uniform, volunteer, faithful and efficient military. The same goes for heterosexual sexual expression; nobody should be asking or telling about what any person does with his or her sexual organs. The military’s mission is national defense, not expressions of viewpoint, religion, or sexuality. Thus, any open expression of sexuality – heterosexual, gay, or otherwise – should be discouraged and perhaps considered a violation of DADT; and any discrimination directed at suspected homosexuality, e.g., vandalizing the door of a campy soldier, should be treated as a violation DADT as well. This approach would provide equal protection of the law to gays without the prerequisite of determining whether every person suspected of being gay is actually gay in fact.

In sum, the mission of the military can be reconciled with the freedom and privacy of all service members by simply ignoring sexual orientation. DADT, if faithfully and smartly enforced, is the most obvious policy for achieving that balance.

[eve mahar]

12:59 PM on 11/30/2010

"The same goes for heterosexu­al sexual expression­; nobody should be asking or telling about what any person does with his or her sexual organs."

Are you clueless? Do you really believe that that's what this issue is about? Gay people do not want to openly discuss what they do with their sexual organs. They want to be able to be honest and true to themselves, and be able to discuss things like their spouse, their children, their lives, just as straight people do. Just wearing a wedding band is a statement that most straight people make. They discuss their weddings, their anniversary, they receive housing and benefits for their spouse and family. All gay people want is the same right, at the very least, to be able to acknowledge their loved ones and be who they are without risking their career. This is so not about sex.

[MCWAY]

11:56 AM on 11/30/2010

Then explain what happened four weeks ago at midterms, when the GOP ran on repealing ObamaCare and extending the Bush tax cuts for all.

[traceymarie]

07:06 PM on 11/30/2010

baggers are stupid

[ScapeGoat]

08:12 AM on 11/30/2010

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/30/dadt-study-pentagon-gays-military_n_789626.html

70% of the soldiers are ok with repealing DADT. So what excuse are the bigots going to use now?

[marthamothra]

06:55 PM on 11/30/2010

They just DON'T CARE! 70-80% of Americans also don't want Social Security changed, but the elected officials just DON'T CARE! They will do what they want. I am beyond thinking that my vote means anything -- I vote in every election, but no matter who's elected, we CAN'T GET CHANGE in the system.

[Turtlenews]

04:37 AM on 11/30/2010

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20101130/us-gays-in-military

[LV711]

02:22 AM on 11/30/2010

Tell me M...Graham. What exactly are you are M....McCain afraid will be revealed if DADT is repealed? Tell, it....tell it or you will have to answer to WikiLeaks!

[ScapeGoat]

08:13 AM on 11/30/2010

The bigots have no real answers especially since 70% of the soldiers are OK with repealing DADT

[Eric8869]

09:31 PM on 11/29/2010

When will Closet Case Linsay Graham go away??? and John McCain? The most anti-gay people are usually hiding something or covering something up. Wonder who he slept with either in the military or as a prisoner. Why is this so important to him? hmmmmm

[vino1]

02:12 AM on 11/30/2010

Wow i guess your a tolerant lib right ? And i no John shoukld have become a progressive ehile he as being totured for alll those years. And you no what eric you should be able to speek about your ears getting tortured in the camp you were held in. I cant wait to compare your stories to mcains. I cant wait to here yours.

[ScapeGoat]

08:15 AM on 11/30/2010

A bigot is a bigot no matter what his military record is.

[ScapeGoat]

08:16 AM on 11/30/2010

By the way, the biggest homophobes usually have something they are hiding. Like airport bathrooms.

[cutesky]

09:08 PM on 11/29/2010

Why do Lindsay Graham and John McCain like DADT so much? Just askin'......

[Cowboylove]

02:16 PM on 11/30/2010

I'm not asking and I'm not telling!