A day after trying to amend the Defense Department’s budget bill to prohibit any funds being spent on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell investigations, Florida’s Rep. Alcee Hastings withdrew his bill. He claimed he dropped the effort because of pressure from the White House and his Congressional colleagues, while still maintaining that when he recognizes bigotry, he makes a a stab to end it, and “the time is now.” So who, specifically, are there folks trying to squash his effort?
Well, it’s not President Obama specifically who told Hastings to shut it down, but his “liaisons.” But let’s be clear: They are one in the same. If Obama truly backed killing DADT — or, more accurately, what it represents — he’d encourage any measure to put an end to it. He wouldn’t be having his henchmen doing anything to stop such efforts. Instead, the president asks us to rely on his master strategy .. WHICH HE HAS YET TO OUTLINE, and has made clear it will take until the end of his first term to see any real progress.
And for all the political capital it supposedly requires to kill the policy, here we are in 2009, a non-election year, where such a “controversial” decision doesn’t have to cost anyone his job.
Shelby
Ha haha. Nice try queerty!.N’way anything to fire us up and bring hits right? What a joke! “It might as well have ben Obama??/”. It’s like Lou Dobbs saying “I believe He is an American citizen but I want to see his original birth certificate”
Fitz
Queerty is certainly guilty of trying to score hits, but this is a valid piece. The man is a bigot, who wont see support from my household at this point.
InExile
The Obus strikes again! This is becoming a regular thing, we should all just get used to it. We should all just shut up and wait until the hopey changey one decides we deserve equal rights.
Shelby
@Shelby: Thats funny. Another example. Obama palls around with a terorist coz He sat in a school board with Ayers. I wish Obama can step it up on LGBT issues but lets not pull the right wing crap of guilty by association. I am just a 21 year old college student who’s dissapointed by Dems and this administration so far but Iand
wondermann
please, this is an assumption and Fritz, get it together
Maxwell
OMG! I cant believe that Obama personally told Hastings to drop the bill. At first I thought it was his cronnies, but I’m dissapointed to learn that He personally gave the order for this bill to be dropped. Someone should call him out on this!!. I am so dome with Democrats.
NeitherObusNorObait
@InExile: Funny you mention that “Obus” strike again. Considering that you are lurking here all the time and never let an opportunity slip to bash Obama, guess we should call you part of the “Obait” group that is trolling here all the time.
Donald
Ohhhh boy…this is my first post, I am from upstate NY and am no into controversy..but, this is really pissing me off.
I am really upset by Obama.
I feel that anyone brave enough to put their lives on the line for the rest of us, because the rest of us are too scared, should not be kicked out of the armed forces. Lets face it guys, we are all sitting here in the safe confines of our homes, while these brave men and women are out sticking their necks out for the rest of us. They should be the first priority.
Lets all speak out against Obama. I am tired of being araid to speak against Obama in fear of pissing off everyone.
Obama should have stopped this horrible policy.
And the ones who are defending him are causing gays and lesbians who are braver than him to have their lives ruined.
This is sick. Stop being ashamed of being gay you guys who defend him.
We are not sick, we are good decent people.
InExile
@NeitherObusNorObait: Maybe you are comfortable sitting in the back of the bus, I am not!
Promises made should be honored or should not made at all.
If you think he is doing right by gays please tell exactly WHAT he has done besides back peddle on gay issues and distance himself from us.
Fitz
@wondermann: I think I have it together, thanks. I have it so together that I don’t put up with bigots in my life.
Chuck
“It might as well have been Obama”. Guilty by association??”
Fitz
@Chuck: It’s a little bit more complicated than that when you are the head of something.
Chuck
@Fitz: I know. Unless Obama steps it up for us , He is bound to take the blame for anything against gays in Congress or White house. But I think this guy doesn’t crack. The crazy Chicago politics toughened him up I guess.
Cam
@Shelby: you said “Ha haha. Nice try queerty!.N’way anything to fire us up and bring hits right? What a joke! “It might as well have ben Obama??/”. It’s like Lou Dobbs saying “I believe He is an American citizen but I want to see his original birth certificate””
_________________________________________________
Excuse me, you have a Congressman from Obama’s own party saying that the White house pressured him to pull the bill back. you can try to claim that this is some weird right wing conspiracy, but then you have to try to ignore the fact that this is is a Democratic Congressman saying the White House pressued him to pull the bill. And lastly , if you don’t think that Rham Emmanuel calling you is the same thing as having Obama call you then you are a fool.
Shelby
@Cam: You are the fool. Last I checked Rahm and Obama are not the same person. Even a toddler knows that, don’t you think. I understand your need to vent though.
Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com
There are two possible explanations, two ways to look at this:
1. “The fish rots from the top.” Or,
2. Nothing is ever Obama’s responsibility, therefore
it must have been a rogue White Houser who pressured Hastings to back off without the Virgin Barry knowing anything about it.
Probably the same one who, after booking Donnie “Gays are trying to kill America’s children” McClurkin to drum up black homophobic votes, elevated Rick “Gay = pedophilia” Warren to “First Preacher” without the Virgin Barry knowing anything about it.
Probably the same one who ordered the Virgin Barry’s Solicitor General to defend DADT in the same homophobic terms used to pass it in 1993 in that brief to the Supreme Court without the Virgin Barry knowing anything about it.
Probably the same one who ordered Virgin Barry’s pal Tony West, head of the Virgin Barry’s Department of Justice Civil Division to defend DOMA in the same homophobic terms used to pass it, plus a few brand new and ludicrous ones in that other brief to the Supreme Court without the Virgin Barry knowing anything about it.
Probably the same one who waved something shiny in the face of Constitutional law prof Virgin Barry until he was brainwashed into allegedly believing that he has no constitutional powers to freeze discharges despite the fact that:
Probably the same one who, without his boss, the Virgin Barry, knowing anything about it, empowered the Secretary of Defense to embarass him by contradicting him in suggesting that, well, yeah, it’s a law we have to follow but, well, the law might be selectively enforced in
a more humane way
Undoubtedly the same one who then brainwashed the Virgin Barry into embarrassing himself through contradiction in saying
“I do think that there’s the possibility, though, that…we change how the law is being enforced.”
Probably the same one who, without his boss, the Virgin Barry, knowing anything about it, empowered his Secretary of Defense to then say,
even though
Probably the same one who, without the Virgin Barry, Commander-in-Chief, knowing anything about it, empowered the Chair of his Joint Chiefs-of-Staff to expand the Gay Boogieman Excuse by saying that they couldn’t do anything now about allowing gays to serve because there might be some
Probably the same one who, without the Virgin Barry knowing anything about it, is continuing to, in the Virgin Barry’s own words,
by discharging those the Virgin Barry called
Hail Barry, full of grace, WAKE UP!!! Someone has hijacked your administration.
M Shane
There has been an obvious plague on this site of “jumping the gun” and making precipitous and biased assumptions
befor you know what is happening. Again, I don’t know who is running this site but I bet anything that it is a right wing group or person.
Obama is only part way into his first year; which is a long way until the end of his term I don’t know why you would presume that his options for action were either now or at the end; you can’t be that dense.
Clearly , a second deception in your write up says nothing about any facts of this issue : (1) it did not even mention the role of Mr. Hastings Congressional advisors who told him that he could not get a vote of that kind. All you did was to confuse perception by saying that it was Obamas advisors, with no proof even that it was that!
You are not stupid as much as cunning and devious.
The fact is that this is not the kind of backward blocking that would come out of anything but science fiction (i.e. not supplying funds. Indeed, I don’t thoinlk it’s even possible for the legislature to that specifically block a certain kind of discharge and specify that it only applied to cases of arbitrary “DADT” moves. It very simply would not get through the congress. Why are you going out of your way to blame Obama. BECAUSE YOU FIGUTRE YOU WILL GET A SHITLOAD OF BRAINDEAD QUEENS HOWLING IRRATIONALLY AGAINST OBAMA when it doesn’t involve him.
Part of why this wouldn’t work is that it’s a temporary stopgate to something that needs to just be repealed.
Even if itr was the fact that Obama said anything , I’m sure it is because he will push the Senate when there is time.
I don’t know Queerty , do you think that yoiu just have fools reading this polemicizing Right wing garbage.
You are not making any sense!
InExile
@Shelby: Rahm is Obama’s Chief Of Staff so he was probably just following orders. I doubt Rahm is some kind of rogue member of the administration.
TANK
Rahm does follow orders. He’s a disgusting person, though–homophobic and mercenary. Trained dog with antisocial personality disorder.
This is inexcusable, and in Hastings’ own words.
prissysissy
@Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com: Can you collect your thoughts and present them in a coherent, concise version, not to exceed, say, 100 words? People would read then.
Cam
@Shelby: you said “@Cam: You are the fool. Last I checked Rahm and Obama are not the same person. Even a toddler knows that, don’t you think. I understand your need to vent though.”
_______________________________________________________________
So you think that every employee of the White House just goes along and does whatever they want without being told? REally? That is REALLY what you think? so according to you Obama has absolutly no control over his staff, no control over what bills and laws they pressure Congress to run with and nothing to do with anything that comes out of the white house? So then what exactly is his job, to look pretty for Magazines? No, he can’t waste time calling every member of the house to pressure them. That is EXACTLY what he has his Chief of Staff for. you were trying so hard to Make Obama not look responsible for this that instead you made him look like a powerless eunich who has no control over his employees. Nice one.
wondermann
@M Shane: Queerty is a mess, pure and simple. But it is disturbing to see how easily folks fall into the trap of foolishness.
Any person with common sense can see through this, but after reading these comments, I have to wonder sometimes.
I’m not saying that folks are completely stupid, but they are getting there. People please start critically thinking. Queerty needs the readers so they will push the limits. Don’t be the fool, be aware.
TANK
@wondermann:
Common sense? So hastings is lying about the pressure he received from the white house to remove his proposal from the bill? WHat’s his incentive to lie (we’re going to get some moonbat conspiracy theories going on now).
Shelby
@Cam: Obama didd not tell the congressman to drop the bill, even the article says, His congress members(Democrats and White house staff did) Do I blame Obama for his inaction on gay issues? Hell yeah! But I won’t turn into a Luo Dobbs cronnie and say what is inaccurate. That’s just me. But hey whatever puts you to sleep at night.
InExile
That Congressman should have been sworn in prior to Rachel’s interview with him, someone must be lying.
Fitz
There Sure are a lot of second-class citizens and apologists out here today.
TeleUte83
@wondermann: Your blog:
http://southern4life.blogspot.com/2009/07/hells-yeah-saved-by-bell-reunion.html
You lose all credibility.
edgyguy1426
@M Shane: “I don’t thoinlk (sic) it’s even possible for the legislature to that specifically block a certain kind of discharge and specify that it only applied to cases of arbitrary “DADT” moves. It very simply would not get through the congress”
I think Alcee Hastings has been around long enough to know how to craft a bill and whether or not it can specifically be aimed at DADT.
Ricardo
Newsflash to Obama: hey look! DADT isn’t just a gay white issue !
Obama is too busy playing Dr. Phil at his beer-drinking SUMMITS with Harvard professors and DC cops to really sink his teeth into
full equality for gays.
wondermann
@TANK: What lie? How do you know that?@TeleUte83: Okay, I liked the show, so I can have other likes besides politics? Try again, kiddo
wondermann
@TeleUte83: Oh, thanks for stopping by. Come back anytime
TANK
@wondermann:
It’s not happenin’. THe white house pressured hastings to drop the amendment from the bill. And with obama’s permission and directive. It’s common sense, douchenozzle.
wondermann
@TANK: it’s not, it’s your assumption
TANK
@wondermann:
lol–so hastings is lying about receiving pressure from the white house? Prove it.
TANK
They should have polygraphed him on maddow to appease the obamatons.
TANK
but telu’s right. What does someone who liked saved by the bell have to say about anything? Nothing. Christ, saved by the bell? Get shot.
wondermann
I don’t have to. The issue will come clear soon. All I’m saying is stop jumping the gun and wait for the support to come through…it’s politics 101
wondermann
@TANK: you are telling me this, when this blog post hot guys and incorrect info…get a brain, scarecrow
TANK
@wondermann:
Yeah, I’m telling you this. Saved by the bell…people like you make baby jesus cry.
M Shane
@No. 22 · wondermann : It becomes distracting much of the time when people don’t even read the editorial but just jump at the most available peice of bait and lauch off into fantasyland with the most absurd lines of deducton and ungrounded assumptions.
As you say, we will know the realities on these issues but even the most well meant, staightshooting politicians have to attend too a large number of issues and plan the strategm which they believe will work best, which are not the first logistics to drop from the sky.
TANK
@M Shane:
Haz some STRATEGERY!
InExile
@TANK: Did any of the apologists even watch the interview? From the comments it seems they have not.
Push the arrow in the middle of the screen to watch.LOL
Cam
@Shelby: You said “@Cam: Obama didd not tell the congressman to drop the bill, even the article says, His congress members(Democrats and White house staff did) Do I blame Obama for his inaction on gay issues? Hell yeah! But I won’t turn into a Luo Dobbs cronnie and say what is inaccurate. That’s just me. But hey whatever puts you to sleep at night.”
________________________________________________________
This Congressman said that the “White House” was one of the places pressuring him. Purposeful blindness is a dangerous way to live life. If you don’t want to think that Obama had anything to do with it, then keep on fooling yourself. But the White house pressured this guy…Obama is the White House.
SM
Obama and the Democrats are about to make LGBT Americans a protected class under Federal Law.
Have fun HATERS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_ivec1DWaw
TANK
@SM:
And that doesn’t excuse them forcing hastings to drop this amendment which would no longer fund dadt, from the bill. This is inexcusable and a separate issue.
wondermann
From a better and more accurate source: Law Dork
Alex Nicholson, the executive director of Servicemembers United, said in an e-mail that “the idea to ‘cut funding’ for DADT is more symbolic than substantive, since DADT is not a line item in the defense budget or a funded initiative to begin with. While there are stepping-stone options that would substantively forward the goal of full repeal and that are politically viable, this is not one of them in its current form.”
It appears, at least to some, that the reason we’d not heard about this amendment is that it was not an amendment supported by [all of those] those working on repeal efforts. While Sean Bugg points the finger at Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in a “gay avoidance” sense for the pressure to withdraw this amendment, it’s possible that the call to pull it came from people — whether Rahm or otherwise — who strongly support an end to the policy and just didn’t see this as an effort that would help reach that goal.]
ifonlyHillarywaspresident
Hate to say we told you so just more and more of the same. Notice how the Harvey Milk award came out at the same time? Tricky indeed. Give them the ax and a pat on the head same time.
TANK
Well, no one’s saying it would be an effort to repeal dadt, but it would halt the investigations by not funding them. Law dork is a DICK. He’s an apologist. He defende the DOMA DOJ brief against charges that it did, in fact, compare same sex relationships to pedilic ones and bestiality–he has no credibility.
InExile
@SM: Aren’t you jumping the gun a bit, it’s not signed. What if he removes it via signing statement?
SM
@InExile:
Like its not going to get signed. You all are the Obsessive Obama bots. You do the same thing day after day, after day, after day, after day, after day.
Buy T-shirts and be proud! You all lead the Obama bashing brigade.
Blogs and News are FOR PROFIT they are not FOR YOU.
fools~
TANK
@SM:
Derail. NOthing to do with the topic.
SM
@TANK:
Obama has clearly stated how he wants DADT dealt with. You all derail DADT with all the other 13931434 ways and bickering. You are a fool if you think Obama is not behind certain other Reps speaking up against DADT.
SCAT~
Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com
Did someone mention t-shirts????[img]
http://rlv.zcache.com/barack_obama_fail_tshirt-p235244382167842403t5e4_400.jpg%5B/img%5D
SM
@Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com:
Thank God for people like Harvey Milk and Martin Luther King, huh? You sure would not make that cut.
InExile
@Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com: Be careful SM is going to get all hopey and changey now, makes me tingle down to my toes. Please don’t do it SM!
SM
9 times out of 10 when people trash Obama constantly, its really because of his skin color.
Bigots~
TANK
@SM:
He’s talked, and then balked when someone wanted to do something legislatively to halt the investigations and dismissals. This is rubbish.
Landon Bryce
I love Alcee Hastings! And his tie!
TANK
@SM:
lowest common denominator. Look at how far you’ve fallen. Hastings is black, btw.
TANK
People like sm aren’t interested in the truth–they’re into smores and dogma.
SM
@TANK:
I’m not talking about Hastings. I’m talking about YOU.
but then I’m not the type of person who uses the N word.
TANK
@SM:
You’re a crazypants. It was you who used my name and typed that word out.
InExile
@SM: Why do Obots ALWAYS have to play the race card? No one has mentioned race here. Gay citizens are not happy with little to no progress. Anyway it is fine in America to call gays fags, pedophiles, and many other names and no one cares, it is socially acceptable.
Personally, I do not care what a person’s race is or where they are from geographically, I care about the actions they take or do not take.
TANK
@InExile:
Because the race card, played illegitimately, is designed to shut down the conversation. It works a lot like “because my god said so.” It ends the conversation without argument or reason. It’s just another unreasonable knee jerk reaction.
InExile
@TANK:Pathetic is what it is.
SM
@TANK:
Hardly…you all can have your conversation for the next month on this. Wrong again.
9 times out of 10 the Obama bashers really have an issue with his skin color and its hidden as something else. Just ask the people still having a fit over his birth certificate. It’s not his birth certificate.
You sure are defensive~
InExile
@SM: So what he is saying is anyone that is not happy with the lack of progress on equality is a racists, a birther, or a right wing hack. I have been a democrat my entire life so I do not get it.
Fitz
@SM: “Hardly…you all can have your conversation for the next month on this. Wrong again.
9 times out of 10 the Obama bashers really have an issue with his skin color and its hidden as something else.”
Oh Good. Now I know that I never have to take you seriously.
GJR
@Maxwell: Um, do you really believe Rahm Emmanuel and such folks even take a pee without getting express permission from the Obama admin? Policy decisions are NOT made by such people alone.
wondermann
@InExile: I don’t play the race card.
wondermann
@ifonlyHillarywaspresident: Uh Hilary would be in the same boat, remember she’s married to the man who got burned for this. Do you think she would do the same thing?
edgyguy1426
Politics; it’s a case of ‘what have you done for us lately’ – One speech, SM, just one speech to the American public or one or more Town hall meetings on homophobia in America would do wonders on getting the ball rolling; after all, who would want to be seen as a homophobic bigot after being called out in a nationwide televised speech? The same thing would work instead of this idiotic beer summit publicity stunt.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/mitchell/1692298,CST-NWS-mitch30.article
It’s all a guessing game with this Administration as far as civil rights go- they just aren’t being forthcoming with a plausible game plan – so If we’re left in the dark to guess, why wouldn’t most of us fear the worst? What is wrong with communicating their strategy for advancing our rights? Maybe some of us here would like to be in on the big secret. And yes, SM, we continue to fight at the local level by contacting our elected officials.
Cam
@SM: you said “9 times out of 10 when people trash Obama constantly, its really because of his skin color.
Bigots~”
_______________________________________________________
Sorry Sweetie, that old phony way of diverting attention isn’t going to work here. Most of us voted for and supported Obama, now we are pissed because of broken promises. All you are doing is proving that you care more about your political party’s well being than your brothers right to exist as a complete person under the law. Don’t be too ashamed, you are no different than most of the Democratic party. But again, your defense of Obama takes on a creepy quality. And lastly, why is it that you and Shelby say the same things but never seem to post at the same time? Got an extra screename now have you?
Michael @ LeonardMatlovich.com
Nearly one-quarter of the posts in this thread have either been by a certain psychotic cockroach who trolls Queerty just to get a rise out of people or by people who it succeeded in goading.
hephaestion
Thank God for Rachel Maddow. NO ONE else in the American media is covering this story.
phentermine no rx
looking to post great info for my thanks
Bunny Snuggles
Wow! Looking back at these old posts, you Obama-zombies must feel like real a-holes by now.
How’s things goin’ for ya!