Robert Gibbs slammed on Don't Ask, Don't Tell AGAIN during presser

Even if you love your boss ...

The job of Press Secretary has got to be the worst job in the entire world.  I'm sure if Gibbs had his way, he'd institute that moratorium right this very minute.  It would certainly make his job easier.

But when your boss says one thing and does another (or, as in this case, says something and does nothing), you're just left holding the bag.  But perhaps he'll appeal to his boss, especially if the press gets even more relentless.

"There are two kinds of people in this world -- the kind who separate the world into two kinds of people, and those who don't."  -- Gloria Steinem

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by: red7eric @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 16:34:50 PM CDT

At the very least

they could give Gibbs something to say that will make him sound like something more than a complete imbecile.

Fetch my pearls, I need to clutch them!

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by: RainbowPhoenix @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 16:37:35 PM CDT

Can't be done

How can Gibbs look like anything other than an imbecile when defending Obama's idiotic position?

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

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by: oldbrit @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 19:13:34 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Of course it can.

Look at how palatable Bush made his idiocy look at first. This should be a piece of cake by comparison.

Fetch my pearls, I need to clutch them!

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by: RainbowPhoenix @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 19:25:28 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Isn't it his job to make it look good without any substance behind it?

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by: Chris From Old Europe @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 19:51:28 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

His bosses

have to give him something to do that with.

Fetch my pearls, I need to clutch them!

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by: RainbowPhoenix @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 19:56:50 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Well, commenting all the strange decisions recently ...

... he looked bad. Of course it's probably his bosses' fault.

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by: Chris From Old Europe @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 22:05:47 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

There is a point in time

when any respone one has looks completely disingenuous and it's almost better to say nothing at all/ let it blow over and be forgotten.

But POTUSs NEVER have that moment, Mr. Obama.

You've blown this one and badly- best to own up, admit your mistake, and correct it. NOW.

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by: Louise @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 16:41:04 PM CDT

dems, tsk!

there is NOTHING I HATE MORE than dems (especially the frickin PRESIDENT) acting like they are helpless victims...

ya know what?

I DONT WANNA VOTE FOR VICTIMS.

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by: grover nerdkissed @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 16:44:48 PM CDT

At the moment,

the only other option seems to be voting for the perpetrators.

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by: M @ Sat May 16, 2009 at 01:17:53 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

We need to keep pressure up...NEWS... Lt. Choi will be GMarshall SF PRIDE PARADE, Sun, June 28

I have nothing to say about their pitiful excuses. Darth Cheney is still in charge!!!and it that handle more appropriate every day or what.

 

Here this is from Knights Out letter. FYI.

SAN FRANCISCO PRIDE PARADE
Save the Date:  1LT Dan Choi will be honored as a Grand Marshal for this year's San Francisco Gay Pride Parade on June 28th.  Margaret Wilson has purchased a battalion-sized guidon for this event and we will have a contingent of members and allies marching with Dan.  Knights Out t-shirts will soon be available for purchase so that we can march in uniform.  Sue Fulton is writing appropriately-themed cadences for the occasion.  This promises to be a tremendous amount of fun and we encourage as many Knights Out members and allies to join us in San Francisco!  We need to know which campaigns members of Knights Out have served in to order the right Battle Streamers for our guidon.  Please email Becky Kanis, becky@knightsout.org by May 25th to identify which battle streamers represent your service.  

 

I wanted to go this year, but probably won't make it.

It's the Hammer of JUSTICE,
It's the Bell of FREEDOM,
It's the Song about LOVE between,
my Brothers and my Sisters
...All over this Land.

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by: Orion45 @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 16:56:06 PM CDT

This is totally unacceptable...

Mr. Gibbs, please do not treat the public as though we're all as uneducated as Carrie Prejean. We all know putting a moratorium on discharges is not a permanent solution. You JUST said the president is working through the legislative process to get DADT repealed. But common sense would tell you that a moratorium would more than suffice until Congress and the Joint Chiefs do their job. Doing anything less is cowardly and irresponsible.

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by: obtusegoose @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 17:15:08 PM CDT

Glad to see the pressure is being kept on him

For both this issue, and other issue- namely ENDA, we need to push him. He's not our advocate, much less a fierce one.

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by: bruhrabbit3 @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 17:25:21 PM CDT

did you see Jon Stewart last night?

My apologies if this was already posted elsewhere in the comments (haven't had time to read them on all the posts the last few days.) Jon Stewart totally nailed Obama's inconsistency on last night's show. Unfortunately, the whole segment isn't put together in one clip from what I can tell, but here are the links to the two clips:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/vi...  (the DADT part starts at about the 3:00 mark)

http://www.thedailyshow.com/vi...

If you watch the first one, it might segue into the second clip automatically, but I don't know for sure. Good stuff, so check it out.

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by: DubNotDubya @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 17:39:02 PM CDT

Jon and John

BOTH Jon and John made all "advocates" of DADT look like buffoons.   Hopefully GAY ISSUES will be what comedians draw upon during Obama's administration, since it will be one of the best sources of buffoonery.

Decades more of abuse? - OR - Stonewall.  Nationwide.  NOW!

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by: John Bisceglia @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 19:02:41 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Obama doesn't care about the troops

If he did care, he would declare a moratorium - which would at least make the troops in the field - and us within our borders - more secure until he is out of office.

Obama's only concern is that he doesn't want to burn in Hell for eternity because he supported equal rights for perverts.

Why else would he declare that, "God is in the mix?"

I want a reporter to ask him,

"President Obama, I have a two part question. Since 'God is in the mix,' in determining who gets civil rights and who doesn't, do you support bringing back slavery? After all, there's a lot more in The Bible that supports slavery, than there is against equal rights for gays.

"Second, if you don't want to bring back slavery, how about at least bringing back segregation, separate but equal, and banning interracial marriage?"

OR:

"President Obama, if 'God had been in the mix' when the Supreme Court decided 'Loving v. Virginia' and 'Brown v. Board of Education', wouldn't you be an 'illegitimate bastard', perhaps a White House janitor if you were lucky, and most certainly not President of the United States?"

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

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by: oldbrit @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 17:58:47 PM CDT

I've decided that I don't believe that Obama has any religious reason for his anti-gay behavior.

I just don't believe it. I've never heard of somebody becoming more prejudiced rather than less. At one time Obama supported equal marriage. Now he doesn't, and suddenly he's using his "religious beliefs" for cover. Doesn't pass the smell test for me.

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by: night owl @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 21:45:42 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

You should meet my father

My father used to not give a rat's ass and was cool with everyone. Then he decided his fear of death and fear of losing his privilege as a straight, white, middle-class married man was more important than common decency. It gave his brain the push required to drink the kool-aid. Really, truly believing in his religion reinforced his Very Special Boy feeling. Because apparently your worth as an individual is somehow diminished by treating everyone like a human being worthy of equal rights and common courtesy.

God save ornery old queens! - kevinchi

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by: Keori @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 22:05:15 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Obama's no more of a homobigot

than Bill Clinton is a racist or a homobigot. Please.

But...many of Obama's voters are homobigots. It's a Party problem. And even in 2004, Obama attributed his switch from marriage equality to civil unions to strategic something or another. "God in the mix" didn't have a damn thing to do with it.

"God in the mix" is what gets the old church ladies (and I love old church ladies!) to forget about their walkers, though. Sadly.

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by: kevinchi @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 22:10:00 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

OK. Obama's Not a Bigot

That would make Obama a liar devoid of any human decency or compassion.

That's what psychologists used to call a sociopath.

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

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by: oldbrit @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 23:02:46 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Or a politician.

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by: kevinchi @ Sat May 16, 2009 at 00:25:32 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Kevin!!!!

Are you going soft on Obama?

I hope not, honey.

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

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by: oldbrit @ Sat May 16, 2009 at 00:32:51 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Far from it, oldbrit

and especially not on the Don't Ask, Don't Tell issue. Repealing DADT was a very explicit campaign promise.

Furthermore, it's a campaign promise that 75% of the public supports him on across all sorts demographics. If Obama is having a problem repealing DADT, then he needs to tell the public what it is. Ronald Reagan had no problem using the bully pulpit to solidify public support.

Now on marriage equality, it's a bit of a different story at this time in history and he never promised support on that during the presidential campaign. But specifically on issues like DADT and ENDA, go for it.

But as far as Obama himself being a homobigot, no I don't agree with that at all. He's is scared of various aspects of our issues though, as Clinton was. Just as John Kennedy was scared of the black civil rights issue.

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by: kevinchi @ Sat May 16, 2009 at 10:02:07 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I agree. That was the point of my comment.

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by: night owl @ Sat May 16, 2009 at 11:36:48 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I don't know what's in Obama's head or heart

All I know is his actions and what comes out of his mouth.

What I see is bigot.

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

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by: oldbrit @ Sun May 17, 2009 at 18:10:27 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I do feel some empathy for him

He attempted to work with the African American conservative churches on several issues, including homobigotry, and was unsuccessful, for the most part (at least some of Chicago's churches). Maybe he should have taken some more guidance from Jeremiah Wright in that particular regard.

Obama is also a person (and this is hard to explain) that had to assimilate into the African American community in Chicago, to a large extent. Of course, Obama and Obama alone has to be held accountable for his policies and actions.

And the bottom line is, he sold his soul to the devil beginning with Donnie McClurkin and moving on down the line.

Now maybe these same conservative church folk in some of these comunities will now listen to President Obama, maybe not.  

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by: kevinchi @ Sat May 16, 2009 at 00:36:45 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Donnie McClurkin -- That's a sore point for me

McClurkin is a prime example of my problem with Obama.

Obama does things that are hurtful and hateful towards lgbt people that have no political necessity. As a result, I don't trust him and am not willing to give him the benefit of the doubt he would have received had he not done them.

I simply do not believe that sending McClurkin to SC to attack lgbt's was the only way Obama could gain the support of black Evangelicals. He could have gone to SC himself. There are certainly many black gospel entertainers who are gay positive or at least gay neutral.

Nor, do I believe that Obama had to honor Rick Warren to open a dialog with conservative white Evangelicals.

To me, those things are far worse than breaking campaign promises because they were totally unnecessary and intentionally hurtful and insulting.

The fact that Obama had other options for reaching out to these groups exposes the bigotry and hatred in his heart.

As far as having to assimilate is concerned, I have a close friend who is black, but who grew up in a wealthy white neighborhood where he was the only black kid in school, except for his own sister. When he went to Harvard, he was ostracized by the other black students because he wasn't black enough - which had nothing to do with skin color since Mike has very dark skin. It's the assimilation you're talking about.

In other words, I could have more patience with Obama if he didn't do things intentionally calculated to hurt lgbt people.

If he had not intentionally inflicted unnecessary pain on the lgbt community, I would have voted for him and I would have more patience for his priorities and time-frames.

(Culturally, I'm probably blacker than Mike since I at least have been around black people my entire life, went to school with them, and had black friends. My first dentist, whom my family used until he retired when I was in college, was black. He was my father's friend from college, so he was our dentist. We got stares from other patients in the waiting room since we were always the only white people - patients or staff. But, when the other patients saw we were completely comfortable being there, everything was cool.

When I told Mike about our dentist, he was fascinated because he had not been to a black doctor until he was at Harvard.

In my family, it was exciting and interesting to make friends with people that were different from ourselves. There was nothing more exciting than going to the home of friends from a far-off place for a dinner of their traditional food.

So, I didn't experience cultural discomfort until I moved to Texas and was around Hispanics in large enough numbers to be an important cultural influence. I've been around all kinds of people my entire life, but very few Hispanics. So, when I experienced them as a significant percentage of the population, I got a small taste of what many people feel when they have lived in segregated communities their entire lives and then have to deal with people different from themselves.)

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

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by: oldbrit @ Sat May 16, 2009 at 17:27:19 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

The "some of my best friends are black" card

Some would accuse you of doing that, I wouldn't.

I grew up in working class integrated neighborhoods, for the most part, so I understand exactly where you are coming from. I also understand very well the distinction you are making in discussing "cultural blackness" and, to a lesser extent, the assimilation that your friend went through. The difference being, those differences played out in my family since I was the "smart one" and had the educational and cultural opportunities that my brother cousins didn't. That's always been an aspect of Obama that I have greatly identified with.

The Donnie McClurkin part has always been difficult for me and I have to bring these episodes up everytime a straight African American throws the race card as to the tepid LGBT support for Obama. Plus, Obama never went there like that in Chicago.

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by: kevinchi @ Sun May 17, 2009 at 19:03:45 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Re: Some of my best friends are.... Card

Kevin:

Some would accuse you of doing that, I wouldn't.

I know you wouldn't do that because we've talked enough here that you understand where I am coming from.

Thank you for that acknowledgment.

I fully understand the difference between living it and being a spectator. In that regard, I am merely a spectator. Nevertheless, when I was growing up and my black, Jewish, or whatever, friends experienced discrimination, it hurt me to see it happening to them and embarrassed me that the people being mean or uppity were in my own cultural demographic - white protestant.

What I have found is that when I am around people in various groups, I'm generally easily and quickly accepted because they can see that I am obviously completely comfortable being around them and the things I say indicate I interested in them and their lives and issues.

I was really making two points: 1. When you grow up in a diverse culture and your family values are to be excited and interested in the lives of the people around you, the things that push people apart are meaningless and unimportant. 2. Even so, I still experienced the alienation of perceived differences when I moved to Texas. This means that there's something in human beings or human culture and society which makes it really easy to magnify the differences into fear - even for those, like you and I, who are predisposed to seek out and enjoy diversity.

As a friend of mine says, "Color blind? I don't want color blind. I want to be grateful for the things we have in common and to enjoy the differences."

As the French would say, in a different context, "Vive la différence!"

To me, being afraid of people perceived to be different, and to not be excited and interested in experiencing the many cultures in our county and world, is two things: sad and boring.

A public figure here in Dallas said that the children living in Highland Park are culturally deprived because they are wealthy, isolated, live in all-white neighborhoods, and attend all-white schools.

I thought he was stating the obvious, but he was widely attacked by outraged Highland Parkers offended that anyone would make a negative (even if true) statement about them and their privileged, spoiled brats.

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

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by: oldbrit @ Thu May 28, 2009 at 16:04:12 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Sold his soul?

Kevin, you write:

And the bottom line is, he sold his soul to the devil beginning with Donnie McClurkin and moving on down the line.

I would argue that if Obama "sold his soul," he did so the moment he ran for public office.

I do appreciate that many of the Blenders here state that they supported Dennis Kucinich during the 2008 primaries.  That shows a vote with integrity.  I can't say that I supported Kucinich, and not because I didn't love the little munchkin with the smokin'-hot wife, but because he didn't have a chance of winning.  Even as Kucinich spoke his unequivocal support for marriage equality and Hillary stopped short at civil unions, she had my vote during the primaries, because I thought she was the best bet to beat the Republicans in the general.  But, Obama won the primaries, and - given the choice between Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin, it was a pretty easy decision to back Barack.

My point (and I do have one) is that anyone who enters a political race and wants to win is going to eventually say something s/he doesn't quite believe in order to satisfy voters who may be on the fence about him/her.  I don't for a moment believe that either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton is seriously against marriage equality, and - cynic that I am - don't blame them a bit for being calculated in every position they take.  If that's "selling one's soul," then okay.  It's part of the game in a representative democracy.

I'd certainly rather have a President who basically believes in my humanity and doesn't always act on that belief than a President who openly despises me and has no problem acting on that.  Of course, what we would all love is a President who loves us unconditionally and passes all kinds of civil rights reform during his first five days in office.  And we sort of had that, with Bill Clinton.  Remember how that turned out?  So does Barack Obama.

When it comes to DADT, I'm not angry so much as baffled.  I can't think of a single good reason (even a cynical, blatantly political, good reason) to not move on the issue.  The majority of Americans are with him on this, it's an explicit campaign promise that wouldn't take anyone by surprise, it's good for national security, and it would make some of his critics on the left shut up.  It boggles the mind ... and I hope it's something he acts on sooner rather than later so we can move on to the next hurdle.

"There are two kinds of people in this world -- the kind who separate the world into two kinds of people, and those who don't."  -- Gloria Steinem

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by: red7eric @ Sun May 17, 2009 at 19:48:44 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Obama sold his soul

when he ran for the Presidency.

Prior to that, he belonged to Trinity UCC, an unashamedly liberal Christian Church in the African American tradition. He didn't hear any gay bashing sermons from Jeremiah Wright, that's for sure and that church sustained him throughout his years here in Illinois. Trinity fed both his spirit and his intellect.

(Rev. James Meeks was always more of a political mentor than any type of spiritual mentor to Obama)

But beginning with that Church Tour with Donnie McClurkin and Mary Mary he not only pandered to the black conservative church; he pandered to the aspects of that tradition that I dislike the most; gay bashing, emotionalism, anti-intellectualism, and nearly blind obeidence the God and the words of the Bible.

Obama pandered to the conservative anti-intellectual elements of the consevative church every bit as much as Sarah Palin.

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by: kevinchi @ Sun May 17, 2009 at 21:28:51 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Is it his evangelical advisor? (forgot his name)

Donnie McClurkin etc. were his ideas.

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by: Chris From Old Europe @ Mon May 18, 2009 at 13:43:04 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

It's the Halloween-homos-burn-in-Hell House

Rev. James Meeks.

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

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by: oldbrit @ Fri May 29, 2009 at 09:49:37 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

As far as I know

Obama always made the distinction that Meeks was a political mentor and not a spiritual mentor.  

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by: kevinchi @ Fri May 29, 2009 at 09:59:57 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I haven't looked it up again, but...

I think Obama's called Bigot Meeks a "spiritual" adviser within the last year - or at least he's been mentioned as part of his spiritual crew.

If I remember correctly, Meeks is one of the people in the Illinois legislature that groomed Obama. -- Shame no one noticed THAT red flag.

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

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by: oldbrit @ Wed Jun 10, 2009 at 20:03:59 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Isn't about time we got together and showed our real strength?

Being The Best Little Boys and Girls in the World doesn't mean shit.

We've got to get together, kick some ass and SHUT THIS MOTHERFUCKING COUNTRY DOWN!
And don't you for a moment think we can't do it.

YES WE CAN!

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by: David Ehrenstein @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 18:07:14 PM CDT

Well, alright, Malcolm Q!

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by: swamp_fred @ Sat May 16, 2009 at 06:46:53 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

obama really only seems to be hurting himself on this issue

he's going to lose supporters.  only the rabid right-wing a-holes who already hate him that support the idea of firing qualified servicemembers.  i feel sorry for gibbs--i think he's at a loss over this one, too.  

The gays stole my lunch money

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by: matt in mpls @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 18:27:54 PM CDT

Who cares if Obama's being politically hurt or not...

Politically, he's got it coming.

Blaming Obama for acting like Bush is right as far as it goes. And so is comparing him to the Clintons, the Bushes and Reagan.

Obama is hardly alone. The political programs of the previous four or five presidents have featured anti-GLBT bigotry and much worse.

Obama is expanding Bush's policies of mass murder to secure control of South Asian oil and gas. He's adopting most of Bush unconstitutional attacks on privacy rights and is merely hiding, by exporting, Bush's torture/kidnap politics. Obama fully supports the Bush policy of picking up the tab for zionist ethnic cleansing and apartheid practices against Palestinians. Racist wars of aggression are the core principles or Democrat and Republican leaders.

Obama and Bush worked closely before the election to ram the $700 taxpayer financed gift to the looter rich who wrecked the economy and the standards of living of tens of millions. Since then Obama supported the allocation of more trillions to save the fortunes of the looter class while demanding harsh austerity measures for working people. Aiding the rich and penalizing working people are the core principles or Democrat and Republican leaders.

That he'd play the role of a piss-ant, anti-union lap dog for the rich while expanding the oil war was well know before the election. So was his bigotry and the fact that the foundation of his campaign rested on pandering to christist bigots.

Liberals and other right centrists who voted for Obama or who would have voted for HClinton now have to accept full responsibility for what he's doing. That's important because these same policies of bigotry, racism, sexism, and immigrant bashing combined with war and economic chaos characterized the Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bushminor and now Obama administrations. The parties they represent and the apologists for those parties are bankrupt.  


The looter rich much prefer working with Democrats like Obama and the Clintons - they're greedier, they fool more people and they're able to get away with a lot more than Republicans.  

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by: donal1944 @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 22:56:26 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Failure of Leadership

From http://www.barackobama.com/people/lgbt/:

Fourteen years ago, the Democratic Party faced a test of leadership, and our party failed that test. We had an opportunity to be leaders on the World stage in eliminating discrimination against gay and lesbian service members, to recognize the patriotism and heroism of the hundreds of thousands of gay and lesbian citizens who have served our country. Instead, we bowed to fear and prejudice. We were told that American soldiers weren't ready to serve next to gay and lesbian comrades. We were told that our airmen, sailors and Marines would lose their "unit cohesion " if we implemented a policy of equality. And so, rather than embracing leadership and principle, we embraced Don't Ask, Don't Tell -- a policy that is antithetical to the values of honor and integrity that our military holds most dear. Patriotic gay and lesbian Americans are now told that they may serve their country only if they hide their true identities. They are forced to live a lie as the price of risking their lives for their country. Fourteen years later, the United States of America lags far behind. We lag behind our military allies, who are repudiating discrimination against lesbian and gay soldiers in ever increasing numbers -- in Great Britain, Canada, Israel, nearly every NATO member in Europe -- all with no impact upon military readiness and performance. And our politicians lag behind the American people, who now call for the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell in super-majority numbers. It is time for a change.

As president, I will work with Congress and place the weight of my administration behind enactment of the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which will make nondiscrimination the official policy of the U.S. military. I will task the Defense Department and the senior command structure in every branch of the armed forces with developing an action plan for the implementation of a full repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. And I will direct my Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security to develop procedures for taking re-accession requests from those qualified service members who were separated from the armed forces under Don't Ask, Don't Tell and still want to serve their country. The eradication of this policy will require more than just eliminating one statute. It will require the implementation of anti-harassment policies and protocols for dealing with abusive or discriminatory behavior as we transition our armed forces away from a policy of discrimination. The military must be our active partners in developing those policies and protocols. That work should have started long ago. It will start when I take office.

America is ready to get rid of the Don't Ask, Dont Tell policy. All that is required is leadership.

Print this and mail it to

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Copy it and paste it into the form at http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/

Keep the pressure on to not fail at leadership again.

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Claim to fame: Posted first PHB diary to be demoted

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by: cindik @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 18:31:51 PM CDT

FAX: 202-456-2461

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by: swamp_fred @ Sat May 16, 2009 at 07:25:10 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

At least...

he's getting slammed by the MSM...this is new in the last couple of weeks or so.

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by: Bruno @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 18:53:21 PM CDT

Keep up the heat!

I just sent my letter of to the White House. We have to keep this in the headlines. Also, don't forget to set up visits with your state reps. They will be heading home for the holiday weekend. Stop by and say Hi. Let our voices be heard.

No more Mr. Nice Gay.


Come, come, my conservative friend, wipe the dew off your spectacles, and see that the world is moving."
-Elizabeth Cady Stanton

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by: T2inDC @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 19:20:32 PM CDT

oldbrit is back.

Welcome...

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by: berta @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 20:55:17 PM CDT

Thank you, honey

Glad to be back.

Thanks for noticing.

Liz

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

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by: oldbrit @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 23:06:30 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Actually...

He has a point.  If Obama puts a moratorium in place, the chicken-sh*t Congress will keep putting off any movement on the piece of legislation that will end the process once and for all.  Possibly indefinitely.  

Why don't I hear the same amount of outrage at Congress as I do for Obama.  I'm all for hitting them both hard, but not for just throttling Obama.  

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by: Will St. James @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 21:13:17 PM CDT

Obama could show some leadership. He could push Congress.

Obama could lobby Congress to repeal DADT. He could be doing photo ops on Capitol Hill telling the American people that DADT is endangering our national security (which is the truth, as a matter of fact) and insisting that everybody call their Congress critter right now and insist that they change the law. He's not doing any of that.

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by: night owl @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 21:48:04 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

True

But they can't even get Hate Crimes through the Senate.  I've always thought they would have to get Hate Crimes and ENDA through before they had a shot at DADT.

I'm just making the point that the Congress has a stake in this too.  After all, if it wasn't for Congress pushing back on Clinton in the first place DADT would not have even happened.

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by: Will St. James @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 22:14:43 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

It's too bad the Republicans control Congress

Oh wait.. they don't.

You mean ...*gasp*... it's Democrats who are the problem here? Whoda thunk it?

Wake up. Coffee-smelling optional.

There is no situation so complex it can't get even worse

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by: ZoeB @ Fri May 15, 2009 at 23:42:30 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

The REAL point applies to all gay-positive legislation

... and that is that Obama explicity promised "to put the full weight of my administration behind" working with Congress to fill-in-the-blank. Forcefully lobbying Congress isn't just something he could do, it's exactly what he promised he would do.
And given that he said "all that's required is leadership" to get rid of DADT [including repeal by Congress], and claimed HE was that leader...he's failed by his own definition rather than using his incredible popularity and momentum while he still has it to coach Congress into kicking repeal through the goal poles and stop kicking out gays himself. Lts. Choi and Tsao are just the ones we know about. Most dicharged never go public, so by recent discharge statistical trends, at least 100 gays have been fired so far under this Commander-in-Chief.

And, Jesus, Joseph, and Mary! STOP with the willingly brainwashed parroting of their disingenuous [at best] spin cycle:

Yes, the next President could just let discharges start again. That's no excuse for not stopping what bleeding he can. More than 4000 gays soldiers could be discharged in his two terms. It's also true that the next Congress could pass DADT again if this one repeals it...when did such future possiblities justify lack of leadership and courage and inaction today?

And what is the excuse for his not at least giving us the respect of saying such things himself, however lame, rather than sending Gates, Gibbs, James, etc., to make excuses for him. Oprah showed him pissing away five priceless Presidential minutes in a video skit with comedian George Lopez to promote the latter's TV show.

You KNOW you're in trouble when even the "couldn't really care less about the gays" straight mainstream media start snapping at your heels.

Michael Bedwell
www.leonardmatlovich.com

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by: Michael Bedwell @ Sat May 16, 2009 at 03:36:18 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

What you said.

This has become the final straw for my opinion of Obama. I supported the man in the primaries. I sent him money. I voted for him twice (primary and general). I knew that he was far from any kind of "fierce advocate of gay rights" but I didn't really expect this incredibly lame collapse. I figured that he would at least try to get DADT repealed.

His behavior on this, combined with his immoral behavior around torture, has lost my support. Unless things change drastically I'll vote for someone to run against him in 2012.

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by: night owl @ Sat May 16, 2009 at 11:33:14 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

So, how do we get 9 y/o ETHAN from Colorado a WH Press Pass?

He just wants the President to follow the Golden Rule... 

Makes sense to me. 

It's the Hammer of JUSTICE,
It's the Bell of FREEDOM,
It's the Song about LOVE between,
my Brothers and my Sisters
...All over this Land.

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by: Orion45 @ Sat May 16, 2009 at 13:51:24 PM CDT

....and the corollary....for 2012.

You don't make the PROMISES you made in 2008... we don't vote for you.

It's the Hammer of JUSTICE,
It's the Bell of FREEDOM,
It's the Song about LOVE between,
my Brothers and my Sisters
...All over this Land.

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by: Orion45 @ Sat May 16, 2009 at 13:52:52 PM CDT

[ Parent ]