Understandably, everybody has a great sense of urgency about these issues. But one of the things that I constantly want to counsel my friends is to keep the long view in mind. On social issues, something like “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Here, I’ve got the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff both committed to changing the policy. That’s a big deal. … Now, I am also the commander in chief of an armed forces that is in the midst of one war and wrapping up another one. So I don’t think it’s too much to ask, to say “Let’s do this in an orderly way” — to ensure, by the way, that gays and lesbians who are serving honorably in our armed forces aren’t subject to harassment and bullying and a whole bunch of other stuff once we implement the policy. I use that as an example because on each of these areas, even those where we did not get some grand legislative victory, we have made progress. We have moved in the right direction.
—President Barack Obama, referring to DADT as a “social issue” and not one of “national security,” hinting there won’t be an immediate halt to DADT, so let’s expect some lawsuit appeals, shall we? Also, his alleged concern over gay soldiers’ potential harassment is a more pressing issue than letting them keep their jobs, and keep this country safe. [via]
Ronbo
Obama is a Religious Bigot and a failure. Can we now start looking for his replacement?
Joe in Savannah
So, Obama would rather play it safe, and be known for “moving in the right direction”, instead of leading America, and being known for being a pioneer towards civil rights? Really, this, from a mixed race president, is very shocking. So much for change we can believe in. I can forsee already, that he will not get re-elected in 2012. Thank god.
John k.
Beeehhhhhhhh! Wrong answer again, Mr. President. You’re running out of time to come up with the right one, at least in my book. My support for all federal democrats hangs in the balance. You’ve got a month to issue that executive order.
ChicagoJimmy
Because everone in the military who is gay can’t wait to wear their pink cammos and start waving rainbow flags the second it gets repealled. I imagine the day DADT gets repealled many soldiers, sailors, and marines will simply breathe a sigh of relief that they won’t be subject to a witch hunt any longer. The folks who work openly in the military will simply continue to do so.
What’s the big deal? Why wait? I’ve yet to hear a legitimate reason for waiting. The vast majority of Americans also want a repeal. What other conclusion can we come to except that Obama isn’t as enlightened about diversity as we thought. He isn’t motivated by the denial of rights either.
Cam
This is the EXACT SAME REASONING, the Mullahs in Saudi Arabia and the Taliban use for keeping women in Bhurka’s.
The Bhurka protects the women from being raped by men out there.
So what Obama is saying is that some nebulous bigotry and violence that hasn’t happened is the excuse for denying civil rights.
How does he feel knowing that he is exactly in lock step with the Saudi Clerics as far as his reasoning goes?
robert in nyc
Absolute crap for an excuse. The UK government didn’t have a long drawn out procedure to implement theirs, Blair being the pragmatist went ahead and did it anyway as did most other more progressive nations. Ironic isn’t it that our gay soldiers are fighting alongside openly gay men and women in the British military among others and the question of cohesion has never come up and it wasn’t necessary to consult our servicemen and women to ask them how they felt about it either. Someone should call out Obama and the Pentagon on that. Its so transparent what’s going on.
Chuck
I am really tired of defending Obama and with this, you know what, I’m done. Is outright hate from conservatives really all that much worse than lip service. Obama is failing IMO now because really with the courts and public opinion on our side, Obama isn’t as much helping as he is in the way.
jamison
@Chuck: while i am hurt and enraged by Obama’s handling of DADT, its also true that he will be chosen by his party to run again in 2012 against a republican candidate who will (most likely) be a raging bigot.
J. Clarence
@Ronbo: Really, you want to stick with that line of logic?
Alright, lets play that game and assume that you are correct–and for clarification purposes it’s worthwhile to point out that you are not, you are just loud and upset and feel the need to demagogue the guy because it’s not happen fast enough–what possible good could come from “finding his replacement”. Lets scour the political landscape, can you find or think of another national center-left candidate, that’s electable, that could have gotten the work that is so far done on repealing DADT completed? And by that I mean a bill that has already passed one chamber of the Congress and even more strident review of the law in the military than one that completed before the military was racially desegregated, i.e. not one that asks whether or not to repeal the protocol (racial segregation) but rather how best to do it (the DADT review).
Look, I totally get that things are not happen fast enough (when does a civil rights ever happen fast enough?), and that Obama has frankly been dragging his feet on this issue and has not lived up to the “fierce advocate” he pitched himself during the campaign. I get that, and it’s Okay to be angry and upset about that, but calling him a religious bigot is a frankly just foolish. He is not only the most secular president in a generation, but he has done more for gay rights in his time in office already than any president before him. Now those things does not excuse his reluctance to push harder, but for g-d sake’s it does compel us to be at least relative and fact-based when we start to bash the man. We might be tea-baggers, but I didn’t think we were Glenn Beck’s kind.
Now everyone talks about the him instituting a moratorium, and even I would kind of just like him to sign it and get it over with; however, we have to keep in mind the other Joint Chiefs of the Armed Forces are on the record of opposing the repeal, only DOD Secretary and Mullen have openly said they are for its repeal; and while the president is the Commander-in-Chief this doesn’t mean that he can just sign something and it would not cause a flurry of unnecessary political fallout that could ultimately have unintended consequences down the road, i.e. a Republican Senator like Jim DeMint saying that he will put a hold on all legislation or Defense spending until the president reinstates the possible, because DeMint is just crazy to do that because he’s threatened to do that already.
Cam
@J. Clarence:
The Joint Cheifs were also on record opposed to the firing of General McCrystal. But I notice that when Obama was personally insulted he had no problem ignoring them and firing the guy. This was the person in charge of the war in Afghanistan, firing him was a massive change, yet when it effected Obama personally, other people’s opinion didn’t stop him from doing what he wanted.
rig
I look forward to the day when sexual deviants are allowed to adopt children and serve openly in the military. I can’t believe that anyone would condemn or oppose this! I am in the Navy and I want our homosexuals to be free to tell us about their sexual deviation and I want them to be loud and proud! I want to be able to look around me and 24/7 on a 6 month deployment and take comfort in knowing that the people who I’m working closely with and sharing living quarters with are sexual deviants. I want them to be able to walk around on the boat all day long proclaiming their deviation for me and all of my fellow honorable service members to hear, including the Captain, the Commodore and all of the marines on the boat! I will not rest until sexual deviants are practicing their deviation openly, loud and proud, in full military uniform. Dear God please get them into the service. And to those of you that are in the service having to conceal your sexual deviation; thank you for your service! We’re gonna make sure you can be open, it might take some more work, but we’ll make it happen!!! God bless you guys
J. Clarence
@Cam: The situation with General McCrystal was very different, and without going into all of the specifics the most important as it relates to DADT to look at was the response to the piece in Rolling Stones and the president’s decision. Republicans reluctantly supported the president, because they had to rightfully reinforce civilian command of the military. On an issue like DADT where Republicans clearly are trying to energize their base any decisive action by the president will easily be met with further obstruction by Republicans like DeMint and McCain.
And I am not suggesting that the president had to spend his time trying to convince the four Joint Chiefs. He is the president, and he has made his intention’s clear. What I am saying is that Obama has to be mindful of the course of action he chooses. He if puts in a moratorium, which I think is the ‘right’ thing to do, and the next day one of the Joint Chiefs, or even a lower ranking officer, puts through on op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, which creates a snowball effect with Republicans picking up the mantra that he the “radical socialist in the White House” is pushing his “leftist agenda” and that they will stand up to him and block him on procedural matters it creates a much worse scenario than we have now.
That being said since these discharges are not that numerous, take a considerable amount of time, and the bill only failed by a couple of votes, I could see the president making the statement one morning that saying that with the recent federal case and the fact that study is near completion that he is putting in place a moratorium until December 31st or some other arbitrary date. That way at least it allows him show the gay community that he is doing something and assure Republicans that the policy will stay in place until after the study is submitted.
Still, as unfortunate as this is we have to face the fact that the smoothest route to repealing DADT is for the 2nd chamber of Congress to pass their bill, as that leverages any Republican talking point. Especially if they study comes back in December positively, which I think it will as attitudes have clearly changed, especially among younger soldiers rather than the top brass.
tinkerbell
And to think that I actually once supported this lame bigot of a president? Obama and his party are a HUGE FAIL, and they deserve the electoral beating they are soon to face.
I just shudder the thought, though, of the Christofascist bigots like the idiot who posted right above me retaking power and finishing their job of running the economy the rest of the way into the ground.
the crustybastard
Likewise, Mr. Obama, I’d prefer to see craven politicians like you removed from public service in an orderly way.
So keeping that “long view” in mind, I cannot foresee myself voting for you. In the short view, I’m not voting for your collaborators either.
Enjoy the remainder of your term.
Mike
Maybe the Dems are thinking that they will repeal DADT after the midterms and we will come back to them, I don’t know, but i am not coming back. I might vote for Democrats in the future but I will no longer be excited about them, ever. They have made it very clear from Clinton to now that they take our money, volunteering, and votes for granted and that our rights aren’t viewed as that important.
Mike
@Chuck: How come Obama has not made a comment about the recent rash of gay suicides and harassment cases? This guy is another Bill Clinton, take our money and throw us to the curb. No matter what the temptation please do not vote Democrat in the mid-terms, vote Green.
robert in nyc
Isn’t it revealing though not surprising that not one of the major religious cults has expressed any sadness about this young man’s death, let alone offered any condolences to his family. Relgious cults have and do play a role in discrimination against gay people and are part of the problem, lets not forget that.
Mike, I’m just as disgusted with the Democrats as you are and no, they don’t deserve our automatic votes, but what is the alternative? A bunch of poorly educated tea partyers taking over and making our lives an even harder living hell, no equality ever with them in power, among other things. We have to work with the good ones to further our struggle for full equality, even if we’re Greens or Independents. Its never going to be easy, but we can’t give up because we didn’t get what we wanted in less than two years of this presidency. I don’t like much of what Obama has done either in fact I’m very disappointed in him but between the least of the two evils, I’ll not stay home on November 2 and let the tea partyers take this country down the wrong road to chaos and a return to the failed pollicies that took this country into what would have been the greatest depression since 1929. No matter how much we dislike what the Democrats have done, I’ll bite my lip, hold my nose and take another chance with them. If republicans seize any power it will be down to those of us who stayed home. They won’t be able to complain if that happens because they will be partially responsible. We don’t have a single, competent, effective national gay leader to spell it out to them loud and clear. We need that more than anything to get anywhere.