Under Obama "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Will Pass Away
It's all about change, and although many of the faces on the next president's national security team look familiar, it's not going to be the same old, same old when Mr. Obama assumes office on January 20th. There is one preeminent reason for that: the change, as Mr. Obama said the other day, "comes from me. The vision for change comes first and foremost from me. That's my job."
That's called leadership, and that's why we elected him. I take Mr. Obama at his word, and I am confident that as president he will begin, as promised, an orderly, responsible withdrawal from Iraq. I am also confident that Mr. Obama will work to end the ban on lesbians and gays serving openly in the military and that the last discriminatory law on the federal books, the law we call "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," will be repealed in the next Congress and replaced by a bill that permits open service without regard to sexual orientation. Why am I so confident? Because Barack Obama said so.
But it will not happen unless the White House, the Department of Defense, the Joint Chiefs, and the Congress forge a new working relationship to make it a reality. The president-elect has made a good start. A few days ago he met privately with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen. Admiral Mullen was not accompanied by the usual aides. He brought no briefing books, no PowerPoint presentations, just a pad and a pen - and, The Washington Post reported on Sunday, "a desire to take the measure of his incoming boss."
The two men met for a conversation, not a briefing, which speaks well for the confidence of both the president-elect and the chairman. Admiral Mullen emerged from this first meeting with "a view of the next president as a non-ideological pragmatist who was willing to both listen and lead," Karen DeYoung reported in Sunday's Washington Post. Admiral Mullen's spokesman, Captain John Kirby, told her that the chairman "felt very good, very positive" about the meeting.
We can all breathe a sigh of relief for that. For any number of reasons Mr. Obama needs the chairman of the Joint Chiefs on his side (and vice versa, of course), but for my particular cause it is absolutely essential. Sixteen years ago, when Bill Clinton was campaigning for the presidency, he said that he would sign an executive order to permit gays and lesbians to serve openly in the armed forces. But he hadn't discussed the matter with the Joint Chiefs or its chairman, Colin Powell, and that was a fatal error. The Pentagon generally took a dim view of President Clinton. Some regarded him as a draft dodger who stayed out of Vietnam by staying in college - much like Vice President Cheney, but that's another story (and Mr. Cheney won't be around much longer, anyway). The military brass were not disposed to like Bill Clinton, and his announcement - without consulting those who would have to carry out his order - that he would end the ban unilaterally ensured their continued opposition. The resulting brouhaha consumed much of President Clinton's first year in office and, instead of lifting the ban, Congress with the approval of the Pentagon handed the president the compromise known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which satisfied no one and has never worked. The military does ask, and the discriminatory and basically un-American law encourages too many to become snitches, a role that doesn't fit anybody's honor code. The result was a very costly mess, which the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network has been trying for fifteen years to clean up.
We are not deluding ourselves at SLDN. We know that matters of extreme urgency are crying for the next president's attention. There is the economic meltdown, for example, and the prospect of a serious recession looming ahead. There is the winding down of the war in Iraq and, apparently, the stepping up of the war in Afghanistan. In the meantime, the polar ice is melting and the seas are rising as the globe gets warmer.
But these critical issues do not supplant the fact that the last discriminatory law on the books of the United States needs to be junked. Make no mistake: this law can be repealed and it can happen in the next Congress. We know that the president-elect wants to do it. As poll after poll has shown, the people are already on his side but that is not enough. He must have the Pentagon and a majority of the House and the Senate as well. The groundwork has to be laid and the votes lined up one by one by one. That's the way things get done in Washington.
And that's how the tortoise beat the hare - step by step by step. "No drama Obama" knows that very well. It has worked very well for him. That's how he won the nomination and then the election -- step by step by step.
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The brass didn't like clinton because of his deferments, but liked chaney despite his. sounds like hypocracy to me. the real issue was that chaney is a warmonger and clinton wasn't. chaney wanted a war and clinton didn't. chaney wanted more toys and clinton didn't. it is plain and simple.
Clinton didn't want a war? maybe not the day he took office, but after a scandal or two he was downright eager!
This should wait until there's a general consensus from the military. They know the life of our servicemen better than we do, and we shouldn't try to socially engineer tolerance and acceptance in a facet of our government we don't even know about.
I hope Obama doesn't get too cocky and try to overturn this too soon, because the last thing we need is another reason for all the fence-sitters who voted for him this time to go right back to the Republicans in 2012 because our President is a bleeding-heart liberal.
They didn't need to wait back in the 40's to integrate minorities or in the 70's to integrate women. They grumbled and whined but eventually accepted it. This too shall come to pass.
And I'm sure minorities and women still have such an easy time in the military. Oh, except they don't. Please don't speak of things you don't know about.
carnsntrucks........good points.......but when Obama promised it........he has to deliver........he's a shoo in 2012 unless something drastic happens......Jindhal is someone to look out for as well as you know who........
Cool! Gays and lesbians can die for worthless causes, but STILL can't get married.
What a world.
If you want to end anti-gay discrimination in America, you have to focus on religion. There would be NO organized anti-gay movement without the evangelical, fundamentalist and dominionist communities -- led by such frauds as Rick Warren and Ted Haggard -- paying and paving the way.
God hates homosexuality. He's cool with slavery -- but he really hates homosexuality. Sounds reasonable to me!
Religion is not the root of discrimination, it's just plain homophobia. Religion is merely the window dressing people use to make their bigotry "okay" in society.
Good point but It's both if by religion is meant the patriarchal Semitic religions - Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Still, even in these religions, it doesn't get much mention in their scriptures ( Sodom and Gomorrah IS NOT about homosexuality) - not nearly enough to justify the crazed anti-gay obsession of today's fundamentalist Christians. What gets more attention is the importance that women be subservient to men - something the religious right doesn't talk about in public because they know that would be a major political loser.
Can you point out any New Testament teachings that condone slavery?
Semper fi
"the last discriminatory law on the federal books" ?? How about DOMA?
The exclusion of sexual orientation from existing federal hate crime law and employment non-discrimination law is itself discriminatory. What message does that send? That violence against a person because he or she is gay has some justification. That terminating their employment because they're gay is justifiable. That's the message and that's why the religious right haters have fought tooth and nail at both federal and state levels to keep any such legislation from passing.
And Richarson get with Bill Clinton and work it out! You two can get things moving business wise!!!
Richardson-what are you complaining about? You got one more job. You handle trade. Are you kidding-what an opportunity to bring some diversity in that system. DOT needs a shake up-yes sir! They have been doing some unfair crap! You have an opportunity to bring business to the US!! and beyond. Let Hillary do the job-oh will she learn. You know how to do the job and make it above the average. So stop complaining. We need someone like you with a brain in Commerce.
President Elect Obama and VPElect Biden have done an excellent job in management and pulling a team effort together. Already there are critics and they both knew there would be-that is no surprise. One is the nomination of Eric Holder and it is certainly no surprise when you put a Black Man in the Justice Department as in charge. Working for Law Enforcement we always are put in positions but, never in charge. We are not privy to certain information and pushed aside for all those meetings behind the meeting. We are more scruntinized than others and passed for positions of supervision. Why? It makes some nervous when we get in a position of overseeing security and weapons. And, do not say "it ain't so". We are usually given the position with no authority--flashlight cops or security.
Even as secretaries we are passed over and not used except to file and answer the switchboard like we do not have any sense otherwise.
So, three cheers for you Mr. Holder. You got one more job ahead on this one. Especially in the South.
Oh, and there needs to be a shake up. You have some dirty cops and robbers to deal with-Amen! Just shake it from the bottom up-local, regional, nationally-some bull going on-border Patrol, FBI, CIA, just kick ass!
Well written. A very good read.
Clinton's biggest mistake in this regard was assuming that the military were just mindless automatans who would simply do what they were told.
Obama knows that our military are made up of very intelligent people who (oh the horror of it all) actually have good ideas about things, especially things dealing with the military.
Michale.....
He probably shouldn't have taken on the issue in the first place. The country wasn't ready for it and I've read that some gay activists told him so but that he didn't listen. There was plenty else he could have done like including sexual orientation as a hate crime category and a federal ban on job discrimination based on sexual orientation. He mindlessly rushed ahead and took on one of the most conservative institutions in the country. Then, to add insult to injury, he tried to pass off Don't Ask, Don't Tell as an honourable compromise when any idiot could foresee it was an invitation to perpetual witch hunts. Thank God that we now have a Democratic president who shows ever sign of having a lot more integrity than slick Willie.
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