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Loading ...Obama pledges to end military ban at HRC
10.11.2009 7:45am EDT
(Washington) President Barack Obama restated his campaign pledge to allow homosexual men and women to serve openly in the military, but left many in his audience of gay activists wondering when he would make good on the promise.
“I will end ‘don’t ask-don’t tell,’” Obama said Saturday night to a standing ovation from the crowd of about 3,000 at the annual dinner of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay civil rights advocacy group. He offered no timetable or specifics and he acknowledged some may be growing impatient.“I appreciate that many of you don’t believe progress has come fast enough,” Obama said. “Do not doubt the direction we are heading and the destination we will reach.”
Some advocates said they already have heard Obama’s promises and now they want a timeline. Cleve Jones, a pioneer activist and creator of the AIDS Memorial Quilt, said Obama delivered a brilliant speech, but added “it lacked the answer to our most pressing question, which is when.”
“He repeated his promises that he’s made to us before, but he did not indicate when he would accomplish these goals and we’ve been waiting for a while now,” said Jones, national co-chair of a major gay-rights rally scheduled for Sunday on the National Mall.
Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network said he was encouraged to hear Obama’s pledge but added “an opportunity was missed tonight.” He said his group “was disappointed the president did not lay out a timeline and specifics for repeal.”
Obama also called on Congress to repeal the Defense Of Marriage Act, which limits how state, local and federal bodies can recognize partnerships and determine benefits. He also called for a law to extend benefits to domestic partners.
He expressed strong support for the HRC agenda of ending discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people but stopped short of laying out a detailed plan for how to get there.
“My expectation is that when you look back on these years you will look back and see a time when we put a stop against discrimination … whether in the office or the battlefield,” Obama said.
Obama’s political energies are focused on many issues, including managing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the economic crisis and his ambitious plan to reform the health care system.
The HRC holds out hope of seeing more action.
“We have never had a stronger ally in the White House. Never,” Joe Solmonese, the group’s president, said at the dinner before the president spoke.
>and end DADT (check!).
I got carried away with my checks. It should have been “…and end DADT (not yet).
>He will never make good on the promise…
He’s already beginning to. He’s offered as many benefits to LGBT federal employees as he could with a stroke of a pen. He’s chosen openly gay people for highly regarded appointed positions. ENDA and the hate crimes bill are moving through congress (the hate crimes bill passed the house, right?). So, by year’s end, he should have two out of the big 4 accomplished: ENDA (check!), hate crimes (check!), end DOMA (not yet), and end DADT (check!).
I predict that ending DADT will happen sometime next year before the mid-term elections. That will give him three of four major pieces of legislation in his first two years.
Please stop pretending as if he’s only used words and has never done anything. That’s disingenuous.
>I liked what President Obama had to say even if I HAVE heard it from him before. What incensed me was something I heard the next day on CNN.
I think that KaninZ is onto something *really* *important* here. If you follow the model that worked so well in MA during the gay marriage fights, then LBGT people in the districts of these two elected officials would ask that they reverse their statements or face opposition from a candidate who would back a DOMA repeal. If they said no, then the LGBT people would find a worthy candidate, help that candidate to raise money, and work to get the alternative candidate elected.
This method *works*. There are so few people who are very active in politics that, if a small band of very committed people work hard, you can over take entrenched candidates. That’s how we got Deval Patrick into the governorship here, and it’s how we booted out a number of anti-marriage-equality legislators.
But it’s not sexy. It’s not a march. It won’t get on TV any time soon. And there’s no street theater. It’s a lot of planning over coffee, making phone calls, getting people to the meetings at the right time, educating about the electoral process, holding signs, and so on.
“At any rate, when President Obama does away with DADT with a stroke of the pen — which he is apparently empowered to do no matter how much homophobes rant and rave — , then and only then will I believe that the message of hope was for me, too.’
correct me if i’m wrong, i’m not american, but doesn’t a bill have to go through congress to become a law? because if not someone could “by a stroke of a pen’ reverse said law.
“… left many in his audience of gay activists wondering when he would make good on the promise.” I was not in the audience, nor do I wonder when he will make good on the promise.
He will never make good on the promise until he and his administration realize that we are full citizens who are suffering daily because of discriminatory policies in the military and in the civilian world. We are not abstractions, we are living, breathing, dying and VOTING citizens and members of families as much as anyone else out there.
I have seen no evidence that this administration has chosen to treat us as human beings rather than a voting bloc.
At any rate, when President Obama does away with DADT with a stroke of the pen — which he is apparently empowered to do no matter how much homophobes rant and rave — , then and only then will I believe that the message of hope was for me, too.
Let him take one real risk for us, just one. I do not consider it a risk to do gay-friendly things when no one is going to raise a ruckus. It’s nice, but nice isn’t getting anything done. Neither does nasty, but courage just might make a change.
Trace: If the current approval ratings for Obama and every likely Republican contender continue as they are for the rest of Obama’s term, he won’t have any trouble getting re-elected.
Obama’s around 55% approval and 35% disapproval; Palin, Huckabee, Pawlenty, etc. all have those numbers reversed.
The only Republican anyone’s looking at right now who has a snowball’s chance in hell of getting elected in 2012 is Mitt Romney, and it would be difficult for him to clinch the nomination.
Take action folks. Both Senators have contact pages on the web.
Here’s what I sent:
“Senator Casey,
I watched your interview with John King of CNN this morning and heard both you and your fellow Senator Deb Stabenow say you wouldn’t vote to overturn DOMA even though you both seem to realize that the Civil Rights of your fellow Americans are being trampled upon.
In one statement you both managed to exhibit political, ethical and moral cowardice. Quite a coup even for career politicians.
I hope this sorry display costs both of you your seats to make room for someone who WILL support and defend the Constitutional rights of ALL their constituents!”
Let’s raise a voice against gradualism. NO MORE EXCUSES!
The gay activists strategy during Obama’s first year has failed because by throwing parties, giving standing ovations, writing thank-you notes and making toasts, gays have become the nice guy that finishes last. Pathetic cheerleaders and banquet servers. Joe Solmonese has become Cinderella, doing all the work, then kept away from the ball by the evil stepsisters, Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod
The HRC “we’ve got your back, always” strategy is a failure because no one has told the people in power “if you don’t enact these two fucking easy repeals before the midterms, we may not be there for you at the time of the midterms.” The gay elites have been partying so long with their democratic pol friends, bonding with complaints about the “enemy,” the HRC and all the others forgot one simple fact: When the democrats control the government, and they keep protecting DADT and DOMA, they HAVE BECOME the enemy. They are protecting those laws because they are afraid of losing power. They forgot that we helped put them there, and they do not have OUR back. Without the fear of elections, the democrats care about gay issues, but don’t have the fear they need to act. Gay vets dumped, etc.
But I say the HRC and everyone else needs to hold commander fucktard and the rest of the U.S. Government accountable, and make sure the democrats do not squander their best political asset, US.
And if they bring up my patience one more time I am going to puke. My patience is no longer the issue. Discrimination of me and fellow Americans is the issue, the only issue now.
Ah, forgot to name the gimboids…Senators Bob Casey and Deb Stabenow.
I liked what President Obama had to say even if I HAVE heard it from him before. What incensed me was something I heard the next day on CNN.
The reporter was asking two Democrats if they would vote to repeal DOMA if the legislation to do so was brought before them…both said in effect that “we know our fellow Americans Constitutional rights and Civil Rights are being trampled on, but if we voted to overturn DOMA we’d be voted out of office. We need this resolved at the Federal level so we can keep our seats.”
Political, moral and ethical cowardice all in one statement. Pretty impressive even for career politicians. Both of these unAmerican gimboids need to lose their seats!
I’m sorry? Was anyone surprised?
I think the only redeeming fact is that Obama will likely be a one term President. Let us hope that we do not get someone that makes W look bright.
In fairness, Obama has said in the past that gays would have to step up. We’re not putting the Dems in a put-up-or-shut-up position. Anybody think the GOP hasn’t noticed this? Our opponents are not going to play nice, meanwhile neither the HRC nor the Dems really seem to understand this, let alone show a consistent ability to fight as dirty as is necessary (by doing things like outing gay Republicans). While Obama can’t just demand a bill by X date, we can’t sit back and give him and the Dems a pass. It’s to the point where opposition within the military is waning, so that’s not much of a fight. It’s getting a bill in Congress…now since the Dems have majorities in both houses (for now), I do wanna know what sorry-ass excuse there is for not pushing this bill. Oh wait–somebody wants to lay low because they want re-elected. You want re-elected? Then DO SOMETHING for the benefit of the American people. DO SOMETHING to earn that $100k-plus a year that come outta my taxes. DO SOMETHING to shut up the GOP–and it’s amazing how a little courage would do that, whether it’s DADT, real re-regulation in financial services, or real and clear reform in healthcare. Rahm Emmanuel has this fucked-up notion that if the Dems don’t rock the boat too much, they can stay in office. To do what? More of nothing? People will respect the Dems and their agenda if the Dems fight for their goddamn agenda. This “consensus” bullshit is just a Beltway circle-jerk.
Blah, blah, blah… Here come the midterms and it looks like the Dem’s could lose either the house or the senate and then bye bye any chance of getting any of the things we want, let alone all of them. Maybe they should start giving Noble Prizes for flowery speeches that mean nothing while telling people exactly what they want to hear, at least he deserves that one. To the streets people.
Joe Solmonese has become Cinderella. While Obama and the democratically controlled government sends everyone else to the ball, poor Joe has to get democratic politicians re-elected in the midterms, re-elect Obama to the presidency, clean the chimney, and tehn maybe Obama will obey his oath of office. Great.
So, NOTHING new there. What did we expect? A standing ovation for words he used during the campaign and absolutely NO idea of a time plan. At least if he’d said before 2012 I could accept it, but so far, what was the point attending the HRC gig? My gut feeling is…NO change before 2012.