Is the White House so afraid of repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell that it’s pawning off responsibility on non-Democrats? Barack Obama‘s minions are turning to none other than Sen. Joe Lieberman (Connecticut’s Democrat-cum-Independent John McCain supporter) to trudge ahead on killing DADT. It certainly helps that Lieberman sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
It’s hard to tell whether the White House’s Lieberman strategy is more talk, or true action. Lending evidence to the former is hearing gay Office of Personnel Management director John Berry confirm Obama’s camp is in talks with Lieberman . Generally when we hear the White House trumpet its “movement” on gay rights, it’s a smokescreen to buy time and trust.
But if Obama is truly trying to work with Lieberman on a DADT repeal bill, it might actually make sense to go the Independent route, since it could drum up bi-partisan support easier than a Democratic-led approach. Kerry Eleveld notes: “People familiar with the strategy around Senate introduction say the discussions generally involve two different tracks: the bipartisan track, with at least one of the cosponsors sitting on the SASC; and a second track, which would be a Democratic introduction by someone who sits on the SASC.”
The Leiberman strategy also begs the question: What about Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Majority Leader Harry Reid, each of whom have publicly shown support for ending DADT? Well, neither sits on the SASC, which holds jurisdiction over military matters.
How about we take this to the next level?
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But it’s not like there aren’t any willing Democrats on SASC; Colorado’s Sen. Mark Udall previously asked Adm. Mike Mullen to put together his DADT recommendations for this fall’s Gillibrand-led hearings on the law.
Then again, it could be Lieberman who’s most likely to drum up a few Republican votes for the bill (including Maine Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe), something Democrats would struggle with.
Cam
Interesting tie in though.
Gays start boycotting Barney Franks DNC fundraiser and two days later Obama gives token concessions to gay federal employees.
Gays have a March in Washington DC lambasting the Admin and Congress for doing nothing on gay rights and two days later, after hearing for ages that DADT would not make it to the Senate, The White House comes out in public with an announcement that they are supposedly starting a push against DADT in the Senate.
The one thing we have to be careful of is…the concessions offered to gay Federal employees were token and not complete. This could be a similar Rahm Emmanual tactic of “Give it to Lieberman, let him fail since niether party really likes him then we can blame it on the GOP and say “See, told you”.
So Obama, hey, if you’re really pushing for this, then we expect you to back this and not just let it fade away.
Grey
Hmmm. Not a big fan of Lieberman, but having him sponsor not only gets someone from the SASC as the sponsor but also helps show that you can be a conservative hawk on military matters and still believe that DADT is stupid. In addition, while I get so frustrated sometimes with the whole “we need some Republican votes” idea (why the hell did we push for 60 in the first place if we were going to ignore it), getting a few Republicans provides some cover for red-state Dems who can argue that it has bipartisan support.
But whatever the approach, just get it done already! Next to the soon-to-be-completed hate crimes legislation, repealing DADT has the strongest public support of all LGBT issues. And while it won’t personally affect me, other than the general manner that battering away institutionalized homophobia helps all of us, it will have a real, dramatic, immediate impact on the lives and careers of a lot of people.
QueerToday
Leiberman supported McCain, the Iraq war… the list goes on and on. He’s terrible, and I will never view him as a hero.
Brian
They better get it done before the midterms, or I am staying home.
The Gay Numbers
You do not need to see him as a hero. My advice is to stop with the hero worship mentality, but that mentality is so entrenched in America at this point- I am talking to a wall.
Brian
They may just barely have the votes to repeal DADT in the Senate.
DOMA, which Lieberman still supports, has 65 Senators that still support keeping it.
DADT = ???
DOMA = DOA
The Gay Numbers
The whip for passing ENDA is something like 200 House, and 49 Senate- my guess is that the numbers are probably better for the DADT repeal. This is doable with leadership. The great problem of the times we live in is that we went from a certain, but wrong leader to a doubtful, but not going to lead even when right leader. They are starting to call Pres Obama- the bystander presidency. I think DADT maybe repeal in 2011. But that’s just a guess.
Brian NJ
The numbers of votes are low because the congress has always been able to count on the gay vote, so why take a risk? We are the democratic party’s bitch bottoms. We have become the banquet servers of the democratic party — deliver to them LAST which means never. That is why we are so low on the vote totals. It is not because the congress members do not support the repeals of DOMA and DADT — they do. But watch them take action when the gays turn on them, as they are now. Party fucking over.
Brian NJ
And Joe the banquet waiter is not going to tell his friends Barry, Harry and Nancy that they better repeal DADT and DOMA by Nov. 2010 or I won’t deliver the gay vote this time — no way! He is probably waiting for a golden parachute right in to a government job himself. Why would he threaten that?
fredo777
I think this was a good move, if for no other reason than it seems like he’s willing to put power over something important in Lieberman’s hands which could help settle some perceived bad blood + also because it would be easier for him to get Repubs on board.
Len_RI
Nothing, not even spearheading the repeal of DADT, will ever cause me to forgive joe LIEberman for his dishonesty and his rape and pillage of health insurance reform. He is an evil man who will say anything to preserve his insurance industry blood money. A pox on him!