Thank You Congress
Finally, Washington is starting to wake up from its 15-year slumber concerning gays in the military. Today, 77 members of Congress sent a letter to the White House urging President Obama to take the lead on "don't ask, don't tell" by issuing an immediate moratorium on further gay discharges. Following the moratorium, Congress would then have time to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" law by legislation on its own schedule.
The major gay groups, including the Human Rights Campaign and the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, have called for an immediate presidential suspension of the gay ban, which falls under the president's "stop-loss" authority that governs all military separations. Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili has suggested that it is a viable option. The New York Times has also called on the President to consider issuing one. Today's demand by so many members of Congress lends more weight to the chorus.
A White House order would help a lot of people, including Dan Choi. He recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq, but in just a few weeks, the Army is going to fire him for being gay. In his case, there simply isn't time to wait the months or, more likely, years, that Congress may require to take up the issue. Only an immediate moratorium on "don't ask, don't tell" can keep him in the Army. Only President Obama can do that. That's what 77 members of Congress have recognized.
But this is about something far larger than one service member. It's about the role in protecting national security of tens of thousands of proud, loyal gay and lesbian troops. Like Dan, thousands of other gays and lesbians have donned the United States uniform, put their lives on the line, and participated in our nation's overseas missions. Hundreds of those individuals had skills like Arabic and other language capabilities or other badly-needed specialty skills, that literally saved lives in Iraq. Like Dan, they would like to be able to keep doing their jobs. The military needs them all. And they want to serve.
The problem is that even though three quarters of the American public support the right to serve honestly, there is a stalemate in Congress. A small alliance of Republicans and conservative Democrats stands in the way of Congress doing anything soon about "don't ask, don't tell." That's why today's call for an immediate presidential moratorium is so important. It would cut through the gridlock in Congress.
Dan Choi is ready to go back to Iraq if the White House allows them to do so. So are countless of his comrades who have been needlessly stripped of their ability to serve their country in uniform.
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Hey guys ans gals - I'm straight, agnostic and an old white woman but you have no stronger supporter of getting rid of DADT and DOMA than me.
When I think of all the folks who are considered 'less' than me - who can't visit a loved one in a hospital, can't automatically inherit their partner's estate, can't raise their own or adopt children, can't serve openly in the military, or many other happenings that I take for granted there's something wrong with this picture.
The religious right is, I believe, behind most of the opposition and you have to push back. Only when these monster organizations have their tax exempt status removed for intrference in politics will they be willing to even discuss the issue.
I don't know if I will live to see the kind of 'human rights' that everyone deserves - and equality here at home and abroad - but (I expect to have a few more years) I hope I do.
That's what civil unions are for. Marrage in the traditional sense brings God into the mix and if there is a God in the Christian sense he probably wouldn't look favorably on gay people.
yeah, but I bet he just loooooves all those straight people out there making a mockery of their marriage vows and having affairs and then getting divorced multiple times... but they still have the right to keep getting married over and over and over again....
and not everyone has access to civil unions anyway, so your logic isn't right there either....
why does congress not do its JOB and overturn the bill it wrote into law?
why are they trying to make it an Obama problem, when they are the ones who created it and who can overturn it?
The Clinton White House, it's worth pointing out, played an important role in the creation of DADT.
if its overturned, dont we go back to how it was pre-dadt? i believe obama is working on a better way to do this right and give equality for all..military and non. give him time!
So 77 people out of 535? I guess that's why they don't take the lead as they should, since they are the only body with the power to repeal the statute.
Read my comments below. It is what President Obama should do. These Congress people aren't afraid to spend political capital. What they need is the defacto leader of the party to do some nudging.
Pelosi? Geitner? Emmanual?
reid?
So let me get this straight: Congress, where laws are supposed to be changed, are asking Obama to spend political capital on an issue they don't want to because it may be too damaging to attack it, but it's okay for him to do it? Good luck with that.
Let's break this down. There are Congressmen and women who want to end DADT. The problem is there are enough Conservative Democrats standing in the way. It's very simple. These Congresspeople are asking two things. One they are asking President Obama to suspend people being discharged by ordering the DoD to stop prosecuting. This will accomplish two things. One it will temporarily stop good people from being discharged. Second and more importantly it will show that the sky did not fall while these people were allowed to serve openly. It would defang the argument that this will somehow lead to chaos.
Second they are asking the president to use his bully pulpit to put pressure on those who in his own party who are standing in the way of repealing DADT. It's a very simple request and one that is expected from the man who is the defacto leader of the party. It even holds more weight since he is also Commander In Chief. This is where Bush was very skilled getting those from his party who didn't agree on board.
Passing the buck.
Only Obama can do that.
I guess so, now that he has them all.
One of those news people today asked him if he needed another stimulous bill eeven though he's only wasted 6% of the one he already has.
Yes, thank you Congress for passing the buck. Nevermind that DADT was passed by Congress and therefore needs legislation to be repealed or a Supreme Court decision to be overturned. Why bother doing things the right way (or making the effort to rally popular opinion) when the President can simply act as our Supreme Leader?
Please stop the madness!
Which madness? There are so many.
I'm sad and disappointed that Obama is listening to his advisors who are clueless and he keeps making dumb mistakes. He is not a dumb man, Obama please go back and listen you your own words and promises and then act.
The US Presidency - WHERE GREAT IDEAS GO TO DIE .....
Do not ask Do not tell will not change anytime soon! Mark my words! It is not high on the list!
Cut the guy some slack, he's only been in office for 5 months.
I have full confidence in Obama that he WILL do the right thing in his first term.
Have some confidence and patience.
You cultists just keep saying that over and over and over. 'It's only been ______ (x number of days, weeks, months).' How long did it take Congress to introduce the Terry Schiavo bill and try to pass that? To my recollection, seemed like no more than a week.
Promises are traditionally forgotten the minute a president takes office. One of the few bipartisan things they do.
Thanks for your report. We must have the best trained professionals in our military to protect our country and to protect each other. President Obama can and should exercise his authority to place a moratorium on discharges because of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".
I wish this writer and others would give President Obama a chance to breathe! The President have been working 24/7 and he has been in office for only five (5) months. Some of you people really deserved Bush, you know the guy who was on vacation most of the time and when he wasn't he was starting wars!
Leave President Obama alone!
No president should be left alone to do whatever they want uninspected - particularly this one who is trying to undo the basic nature of the country. How many lies does he have to tell before his zombies open their eyes? How much of the private sector has to be taken over before his intentions are understood? How much freedom has to be lost before his followers begin to notice? How much will he have to tax us before they feel the pinch? Despite what Newsweek thinks, he is no God.
I believe you have your Presidents mixed-up. Regarding freedoms lost, you need to contact the guy living large in Texas with blood on his hands. Regarding Taxes, you must be one of the RICH guys whom Bush made richer by taxing the poor. Sorry Buddy, your gig is up we finally have a President who is working for the Middle Class and the Poor. Those of you who don’t appreciate our President, you still have Hanasty and the BumRush!
I can tell, you are one of those having a total meltdown because President Obama was elected!
hogwash.... Bill Maher showed the total percentage of companies that have been "taken over" on his show the other night and it's less that .21% of the total companies in this country. And he didn't start this, Bush did...
I heard someone use a great analogy the other day... they said, when a guy rushes in and saves your baby from a burning building, it's not the time to start accusing him of kidnapping your child....
and I'll bet you were one of the 95% who's taxes went down under Obama.... so stop with the tax argument already...
He asked his voters to hold him accountable.
We are.
Accountable for all of the Sins of former Presidents, get a grip! You should have been on Bush, Clinton, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon and all of the other Presidents, but most of all you should be on CONGRESS not President Obama!
You are right we are going threw tough times and you bring up things that are very small. We as a country have larger issues to deal with!
Have you been following the news? The complaints are not about de-prioritization and foot-dragging by Obama.
A little over a week ago Obama's justice department not only defended anti-gay bigotry in court, but went way out of its way to do it in the most aggressive, offensive way possible.
That isn't delaying, or "give him time." That is an actual act, a red flag that we're perfectly entitled to view as a reflection of Obama's real views until he does something REAL that is of comparable scope.
The DOJ had the time to write that brief. Ergo, they had the time to deal with the issue. They simply dealth with the issue in a troubling way.
DADT needs to go as soon as possible. It may have been an acceptible means of ending a stalemate when it was first introduced, but it is now no longer serving any useful purpose.
Ths is sad.
Are there only 77 honorable and intelligent people in Congress?
That sounds rather high.
"an immediate presidential suspension of the gay ban, which falls under the president's "stop-loss" authority that governs all military separations."
This administration would be well served to stand up for what is right.
Ultimately, standing up against un-warranted discrimination is the right thing to do.
This administration seems un-willing to stand up for LGBT rights; perhaps there is the notion that this will lead to an un-winnable fight.
I think that now the time has come for a bold move on civil rights and I hope this administration does not consider Gays and lesbians un-worthy; placing this group as " The Other",somehow outside of citizenship and worthy of exclusion.
Gay people have the same rights as anyone else. I don't think they need special laws just for them. I don't care what they do in their private lives, but frankly, I'm tired of hearing about it.
There would be no special laws just for gays.
They would necessarily apply to everyone.
You think your tired Bozo, I'm gay and I'm tired of stupid people like you. If we had the same rights we wouldn't be fighting for EQUAL rights DUH.
Then turn faux news back on and you won't have to hear any truths.
He can't change the law all by himself, but he can issue a moratorium on enforcing it. No more firing valuable personnel. Why he hasn't already done it, I don't know. Everybody raised a big stink when Eisenhower integrated the armed forces, and the world didn't come to an end.
What Ike did was an important step for civil rights, despite it being a few years yet before some true progress was made...but now we need Obama to show bold leadership backed up by action, not promises, not mere talk. He must make those holdouts in Congress look like the antediluvians they are...come on, Obama, do something that will insure a legacy of real change and hope came one step closer to happening...don't back off because of pressure from bigoted and narrow minded individuals.
It's a shame he is not all talk. We wouldn't be seeing freedom and liberty slipping through our fingers. Apparently bigoted and narrow minded means anything the left doesn't think. It's nothing more than a lame attempt to put the opposition on the defensive.
"Why he hasn't already done it, I don't know." Because he's afraid of taking on the Pentagon. (That's also why he kept on the emetic Robert Gates as secretary.)
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