A memo is temporary, does not include health benefits and only applies to the few Federal employees. It’s like a gift: an unrelated pleasant surprise from a source one expects to get nothing from. For those Federal employees who can now use sick days to take care of  their partners (and I know one and she is thrilled and I celebrate with her, her good fortune) yesterday was a good day.

But the movement isn’t about temporary measures. It isn’t about dividing the gay community into small segments that slowly each get a few benefits.

A movement does not depend on the goodwill of a benevolent leader. It requires the leader to pay attention. It takes away funding until that leader listens and it organizes to create enough friction that the objective of the movement becomes as important as the everyday emergencies facing this world.

That is what we tasted these past few days. Then Obama served up a little dessert. Let’s not let the sweetness of a few words and few benefits for a few people lampoon the real movement that we are all part of. Let’s work to create the same conflicts and news worthy protest until rights are granted completely and to all.

I’m confused. Earlier in the week the Human Rights Campaign took President Barack Obama’s Justice Department to task for its dreadful defense of DOMA. Sure Joe Solmonese’s letter was slightly annoying but it hit most of the right notes. Yesterday after Obama signed a presidential memorandum that gave a few partner benefits—not health insurance—-to gay and lesbian federal employees, here is the tune the HRC decided to sing:

“We commend President Obama and his administration for taking this action to provide some basic benefits for same-sex partners of federal employees and his endorsement of legislation that would provide domestic partner health benefits.”

A rather timid response considering you would be hard pressed to find anyone who is pleased with what happened yesterday (heck the White House had a difficult time explaining the directive to reporters). And if meek was the way HRC wanted to go, why not at least say this “first step” does not remove the bad taste from the Justice Department’s DOMA justification.

Well I guess I shouldn’t be too cranky with HRC this morning. At least the organization didn’t do a Barney Frank and actually defend the White House and DOMA. Yeah you read right, the gay congressman from Massachusetts, actually thinks the Justice Department in its brief “made a conscientious and largely successful effort to avoid inappropriate rhetoric.” Yeah that riff about incest was so spot on (for any slow readers: that line is ironic).

While I’m on the topic of slow readers here is a private message to two “special fans”: yes I know I’m racist. I only go after white folk and never have said anything negative about blacks. As in never. To my other “special needs” buddy, presently I’m reading Details to upgrade my sartorial choices.

“We all have to acknowledge this is only one step,” Obama said in the Oval Office, where he signed a memorandum extending some benefits, such as visitation or dependent-care rights, to the same-sex partners of gay federal employees.

But the president’s critics – and there were many – saw the incremental move to expand gay rights as little more than pandering to a reliably Democratic voting bloc, with the primary aim not of making policy more fair but of cutting short a fundraising boycott.

“When a president tells you he’s going to be different, you believe him,” said John Aravosis, a Washington-based gay activist. “It’s not that he didn’t follow through on his promises, he stabbed us in the back.”

Obama has refused to take any concrete steps toward a repeal of a policy that bans gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, even though as a candidate he pledged to scrap the Clinton-era rules. He similarly has refused to step in and block the dismissal of gays and lesbians who face courts-martial for disclosing their sexual orientation, arguing that the only lasting ways would be for Congress to act.

Obama said he wants to see the Defense of Marriage Act repealed and in its place a law that would give the partners of gay and lesbian federal employees health insurance and survivor benefits, among other things.

“I believe it’s discriminatory, I think it interferes with states’ rights, and we will work with Congress to overturn it,” Obama pledged, flanked by lawmakers and advocates at his Oval Office desk.

Without that repeal, Obama’s ultimate goal of extending health benefits would have to wait. Even those who joined Obama at the signing recognized it was only a first step to achieve what they were promised.

“The community has been growing frustrated and the administration has been working on this since Day One,” said Joe Solmonese, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay-rights group.

Facing fierce anger, Obama approved small changes in benefits available to same-sex couples. For instance, employees’ domestic partners can be added to a government insurance program that pays for long-term conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease. They also can take sick leave to care for a sick partner or non-biological child.

Even before Obama signed the memorandum, some agencies had voluntarily offered the benefits Obama guaranteed with his signature.

But health care benefits – the ultimate goal for many gay activists – remained forbidden by Congress.

“People feel they’re owed an apology,” said Richard Socarides, a New York lawyer who advised President Bill Clinton on gay issues. “People in the gay community feel he over-promised and under-delivered. Now, with over 250 discharges from the military on his watch … the grace period is over.”

Obama sought to paint his memo as a measure that “paves the way for long-overdue progress in our nation’s pursuit of equality.”

“Many of our government’s hardworking and dedicated, patriotic public servants have been denied basic rights that their colleagues enjoy, for one simple reason: The people that they love are of the same sex,” Obama said.

Several powerful gay fundraisers withdrew their support from a Democratic National Committee event scheduled for June 25 where Vice President Joe Biden is expected to speak.

“Latinos matter for numbers; gays matter for money,” Aravosis said.

The leaders’ withdrawal from the fundraiser comes after a handful of public missteps that White House officials concede were not handled with the best eye on public relations.

The breaking point came last week, when the administration defended the Defense of Marriage Act, which allows states to reject another state’s legalized gay marriages and blocks federal Washington from recognizing those state-based unions. Overturning it is a top legislative target for gay activists. But Justice Department lawyers used incest as a reason to support the law.

Critics saw the Justice memo as evidence of Obama saying one thing and doing another.

“I was profoundly disappointed by this action, particularly coming from this administration,” said Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., the first openly gay non-incumbent to win election to Congress. “I still take President Obama at his word that he is committed to the repeal … I also recognize that he cannot do it alone.”

Obama on Wednesday again said he was committed to repealing that law but needed lawmakers’ help.

“We’ve got more work to do to ensure that government treats all its citizens equally, to fight injustice and intolerance in all its forms, and to bring about that more perfect union,” he said.

John Berry, head of the Office of Personnel Management and the highest-ranking gay official in the administration, said the president is doing the best he can while waiting for Congress to act.

“This is a first step,” said Berry. “Not a final step.”

Thanks to Representative Pete Hoekstra (R – Michigan), I now realize that I fully understand the bravery of the Iranian soccer players; I played goalie for the Screaming Yellow Zonkers in the 5th grade against the notorious Blue Flames, who wore metal cleats.

As scary as the government crackdowns on protestors are, however, there seems to be some real hope that these demonstrations are leading to a huge turning point for the people of Iran. Reza Aslan, author of How To Win a Cosmic War, dropped in to talk about how truly widespread the effects of the opposition movement are.

“Game Changer”
Obama is still staying reserved about commenting on the Iranian election, Republicans are still pushing him to justify the Iranian government’s claims that the demonstrations are U.S.-backed by backing them, and Rachel and the TRMS staff are still trying to make my head explode by bringing on really interesting guests to whom I want to listen carefully and then running astonishing footage behind him.

It’s like they want the two halves of my brain to fight. Which is the story my left brain has been putting out all along.

Rachel welcomed Joe Cirincione, president of The Ploughshares Fund, to talk about how the social upheaval will affect Iran’s nuclear progra – WAIT! Come back! You don’t have to be afraid of this one.

This segment is typical of Rachel’s Middle East coverage in that it is very, very interesting, but atypical in that it won’t have you up all night eating simple carbohydrates and singing lullabies to try to make the despair go away.

It’s safe to watch. I swear.

Ms. Information
Rachel gave us updates on Obama’s plan for financial regulation and Senator John Ensign’s (R – Nevada) failure at self-regulation.

I really could not care less about Ensign’s indiscretions, but I do care about his hypocrisy in getting so thoroughly up in other people’s business. Politicians, it’s an easy rule: Between mouth and pants, pick at least one to keep zipped.

As for your own business, here’s the link to Kevin G. Hall’s primer on Obama’s plan, courtesy of Will, Rachel’s amazing webmaster.

CIA CYA
Rachel reported on two Friday news items: The iffy one is that the CIA Inspector General’s report on the secret detention programs is supposed to be released.

The much surer item is that a fine selection of the D.C. and media elites are going to be good and thoroughly hammered, as Ms. Maddow is slated to bartend an MSNBC party after their live coverage of the President’s speech.

The report, said to contain incidents of “homicide, abuse, and misconduct,” is supposed to be so massively upsetting that the CIA is trying to block its release. Hope you didn’t throw those carbs away.

Newsweek’s Michael Isikoff told Rachel that he had spoken with the report’s author, Inspector General John Helgerson. Helgerson said that a great deal of the report contains information that doesn’t need to be classified and “ought to” be released.

Good luck with that.

Good luck also to the brave livers of MSNBC’s party guests on Friday. If you have to go, you might as well go down fighting the best.

“Fierce Advocate”
President Obama took his first step in promoting equality for same-sex unions on Wednesday, signing a Presidential memorandum that granted some benefits to LGBT federal employees, though not necessarily the benefits you’d expect.

Obama also spoke in favor of the Domestic Partners Benefits Act and in support of repealing DOMA. Reactions in the LGBT community are, as you’ve doubtless noticed, mixed.

My own reaction is “It’s a start,” but I’ve said that in at least three very different tones of voice today.

I’m hoping that, if nothing else, President Obama has learned to be a little less tone deaf in dealing with the LGBT community.

And that the Democrats have learned that if they want butts in seats at their fundraisers, they’re going to have to put more on the table than overcooked chicken Kiev.

Representative Tammy Baldwin (D – Wisconsin) of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus joined Rachel for an interesting chat and a pointed reminder that it’s time to start putting the heat on Congress.

Cocktail Moment
Rachel served up the 48th annual Congressional Baseball Game. As of airtime, it was the top of the 6th and Democrats were leading Republicans 15-7.

POLITICAL BASEBALL SPOILER: The Democrats won, 15-10.

Brace yourself for a day of whining and bluster about how the right-wing team was oppressed and all the Democrat pitchers are southpaws which is THISCLOSE to Communism and whatever they’ve decided to do about designated hitters is both wrong and somehow engineered by ACORN and the refs only enforce the infield fly rule on Republicans until you never, ever want to hear about baseball again.

The Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act is sponsored by Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) in the House and Sens. Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) in the Senate.

The benefits would include participation in applicable retirement programs, life and health insurance benefits, and family and medical leave.

“This legislation would allow the federal government to keep pace with other top employers,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.

“It is not only a matter of equal pay for equal work, but also the best way to ensure that the government has access to the top talent on the same basis as the nation’s leading corporations.”

Currently, 57 percent of Fortune 500 companies provide domestic partner benefits to their employees.

Many of America’s leading companies, including defense giant Raytheon, IBM, Microsoft, Shell Oil, Walt Disney, Fannie Mae, Citigroup, Xerox, Time Warner and United and American Airlines offer the benefits.

In addition, 16 states and over 200 local governments offer their public employees domestic partnership benefits.

Meanwhile, at a House committee markup on the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Chairman Howard Berman reiterated Secretary of State Clinton’s commitment to provide equal benefits to the same-sex partners of  US diplomats stationed overseas.

The benefits would include medical care, transport between postings and security training to partners.