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Loading ...Vanasco: Gay military ban stalled?
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ isn’t on anyone’s agenda in the near future, says Politico (hat tip: Towleroad):
“Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says the Senate is swamped and has little time on the schedule for this fight. The Pentagon brass is reticent and wants a go-slow strategy, while a majority of the rank and file in the military opposes changing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law. With no Republican co-sponsors for a repeal, key moderate Democrats such as Sens. Jim Webb of Virginia and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas remain uncommitted.And the Senate’s patron saint of this cause, Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), died before being able to introduce long-promised bipartisan legislation to overturn “don’t ask, don’t tell”.
And absent a big push from the Pentagon and Obama, key Senate Democrats are signaling that there is little appetite to anger some of their more socially conservative voters at a time when election forecasters are signaling a tough 2010 election cycle for the party.”
Still, the Senate Armed Services Committee will hold hearings on the ban this fall – the first since 1993, thanks to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, the NY Senator who has become one of our most stalwart supporters after taking over Hillary Clinton’s seat.
What the hell is wrong with the gay rights advocates? I think they are arrogantly making these back room deals that never materialize. They let the pols put issues on the back burner with promises that they will get it done. The Democratic Party knows we have no where else to go, so they can do nothing like they always have.
It is time to vote Republican and “burn they house down.” Democratic politicians have to know that if they don’t act on basic equality issues they will lose our vote.
Look how simple it would have been for Obama just to temporarily stop the military discharges under the stop loss policy. Who would have reasonably complained?
Then all of the activists are invited to the While House while Obama strokes them. Disgusting.
The activists are just enamored with their own celebrity at these deals they are making. They love being invited to events, wined and dined, called and consulted. They have to get off their fannies and start making threats.
One idea I have here. Lets have a national coming out day for the Military. And those people should demand their discharge under DADT. Including going to court over it.
One way or anther, the law will be changed.
And the christian conservatives will face the choice of eliminating DADt, or watching the military collapse from the loss of 50,000 or a 100,000 soldiers.
The country does not deserve the service of people who are hated in the name of God.
I’m really terrfified that the republican agenda is working. They are out to destroy the Obama presidency, so they can turn this country into a mexico, where the rich have all, and the great majority are very poor.
And here we are trashing the President. The divide and conquer plan of the Republicans is working. They are driving conservative Jews against Obama, saying that Obama will destroy Israel.
And now they are driving the gay population against Obama, whether he can deliver or not.
All I can say to my many gay friends – hey, I’ve dumped $75000 into these marriage battles that I wish I could leave to my kids – is you have an ugly choice. Stick with Obama, gain some rights, and let him try and rebuild the country after the catastrophe called George Bush and his Christian conservative / Catholic church attempt to turn us into a theocracy like Iran. And you know what that means.
Or support Obama to the fullest. It took a 99 years to pass the civil rights bill after the end of the civil war.
And if the repubs gain control, there won’t be any civil rights for gay people. The maniacs who call for the execution of gays or their forced religious conversion will be in charge.
And it probably will be the end of the world. As America becomes a Christian Saudi Arabia. And Bin Ladens goal – a final religious showdown between Islamic maniacs and Christian Maniacs will come to pass.
I’ve told my son, who has one child – don’t have any others. It is going to get ugly.
And please, please, don’t let your frustrations drive you against Obama. That is the republican plan.
I’ve spent much of the last two years trying to understand what is happening in America. Including endless meetings with some christian conservatives.
They have absolutely no idea what they are doing. They are totally brainwashed by religion.
And please don’t say it can’t happen here. That is what my not so distant cousins said in Eastern Europe in the 1930s. And the most likely result was their ashes mixed with the gays of Germany, in the worlds worst conflagration. Brought on to a large extent by the Catholic hatred of Jews, which hitler leveraged into power on a platform of hate.
I thought we had turned the corner with Pres. Obama. But when you look at the game the republicans are playing, they could have been a great teacher for someone called the master of demagoguery – Adolf Hitler.
His name will be cursed forever in history. But if the Republicans destroy Obama, the fact that their party’s name will be ultimately be cursed in all of histroy will not matter.
Because, at least till the very end of wwII, no one had nuclear weapons.
All of you have a choice. Not what you necessarily want, vs totally ugly.
I hope I’ve made my point. I’ve been on the board of Equality Maryland, my wife would want to divorce me if she knew how much money I’ve put into the gay civil rights business.
I hope I have some credibility.
Just remember – part of the republican game plan is to split off all the minority groups from Obama. And they are the masters of intrigue and demagoguery. This is a war.
Please find a way to get involved. It will make you feel a lot better, and help work off the frustration.
I have said it more than one time but I will say it again. Why are we making this a priority issue?
Yes I agree that the military is homophobic
Even *IF* this is passed who will it really benefit? Yes I know Gays in the military but for the rest of us the answer is not really all that much.
Besides what gay person in their right mind would want to serve in a “place” where torture is “OK” ?
Yes you can argue that the regular army types did it under orders from up high. Does that excuse it? NO. I can just see it now the army brass in the future letting gay people take it on the chin for torturing people. They will need a scapegoat and chances are good we will be “it”.
Call me cynical but I just do not trust anyone in the armed forces as they have their own agenda and to make us look bad they would be more than willing to blame the gay people. They also will have a good chance of getting away with it. The military do not want us and only put up with us as it is politically necessary. That what was so insidious about DADT. They could choose who to get ride of.
Now I know that there are a few of us gay people that are somehow comfortable in a spit and polish environment, good for them but again to make it a high priority issue is at best squandering resources we are short of to get this through the Congress and Senate seems to me a bit short sighted. I am sure there are other environments that those that choose to serve could find. Is it a good answer, no, but there are bigger issues this to put our resources behind. If we are going to waste resources why don’t we go after Billy boy Clinton and get him run out any type of politics forever. One diabolical way is to have him get caught with a man. Heck the rest of the nation would ostracize him so quickly we might even have a chance to kick his a** as he is rode of town.
You’re kidding? Obama and the Democrats not really interested in gay issues? Holy Cr@p! I’m shocked!
No, hold on! I think I called this last year!
Justice delayed is justice denied.
@matt87: That is why we write in Word and then copy and paste into the text box for posting. That way you doesn’t make no errers.
I know, seriously, why do we even vote? The biggest Democratic Majority in Congress and decades, and their “too busy” for us. No more money for them from me, and I’m certainly not giving any money to Republicans.
Presidential elections have been extremely close. If a highly experienced gay candidate was able to run a national campaign, winning just 1-2% of the vote, we could directly affect an election. Then, maybe politicians would listen to us and take action!
Someone please explain how this is meaningfully different from the Bush era and the Republican Congress.
Why even vote?
It is never any surprise when DADT or DOMA are put on the back burner. I’m sure, when he seeks reelection, Obama will promise to repeal both–once again. He is strong on promises but zilch on action.
As for DADT, we don’t need congressional action; we need this administration to stop the prosecutions. That is within the president’s power and not exercising it is on him, nobody else!
^^^ That is… I disagree that next year is better.
Fucking awesome that there are no editing or retracting options !
There may be a majority of people against DADT, but that isn’t what matters. A majority of people who actually care very much about DADT are in favor of keeping it. Democratic senators from conservative states have much to fear in angering social conservatives who are already angered about the prospect of Democratic health care reform. Althought, I disagree that this year is better. People forget what it was they got angry about extremely quickly. Something like DADT, any anger over repealing it would be something to be forgotten rather quickly. Why? Because everyone would see the 0 impact it would have for us to serve openly in the military.
Not surprising. I never expected a DADT repeal to pass this year, or even this session of Congress. (And think anyone who believed it would pass this year is naive.)
When the Democrats took control of Congress in 2007 they promised not to abuse the process to their caucus’s advantage as the Republicans did from 1995 to 2006. They must continue to make good on that promise by not pushing something like DADT through without debate.
The organization that would be affected by repealing DADT (i.e. the military) has deeply entrenched opposition to the change, and there are other issues (namely the trillion-dollar goliath of health care) that will receive priority on the debate agenda. There’s a finite amount of time to be used for debate, and pushing things through without discussion isn’t the way of the current Democratic party.
The Matthew Shepard Act was the only gay rights bill likely to get through Congress this year. DOMA, DADT and ENDA were never likely to be passed this year, but ENDA might make it next year. The UAFA will probably pass this session as well, though maybe not until next year after the health care issue is resolved. DADT might be tackled in the next session if Democrats retain control of Congress.
Terryinindy-”not now” is the new “No, Never”.
“Not Now” is hardly being thrown under the bus. While I understand that it’s difficult being patient, a “not now” is nothing similar to being told “No, Never”.
Thrown under the bus again, a great democratic tradition when it comes to LGBT voters. Nothing new there.