Posted on 05/24/2010 8:59:29 PM PDT by ConjunctionJunction
Gay rights groups met with White House and congressional leaders this morning to discuss a potentially-imminent repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that bars gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.
The impetus for the meetings is a push in Congress, which passed the measure under President Bill Clinton, to add a repeal of the policy to the upcoming defense authorization bill.
Repeal "had been on a slow track awaiting completion of a Pentagon study at the end of this year," reports CBS News National Security Correspondent David Martin. "Gay rights proponents and their Democratic allies on Capitol Hill and in the White House have decided it's now or not for a very long time since the elections this fall are expected to bring in a more conservative, more Republican Congress."
On Thursday, as the Washington Post reports, the Senate Armed Services Committee will vote on adding the repeal provision to the bill; the House may also vote on the matter this week.
While repeal could pass via the defense authorization bill, it would reportedly not go into effect under the pending deal until after the president, the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff review an ongoing Pentagon study into the impact of repeal. That review is set to be completed by December 1st.
The president and military brass must approve moving forward after the review comes back, and implimentation of repeal could take years.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen has already called ending the policy "the right thing to do," and President Obama has vowed repeal.
According to the Advocate, a Statement of Administration Policy on the issue is expected this week.
It is not clear that there are enough votes to attach a repeal to the defense authorization bill. Sen. Carl Levin, the chair of the Armed Services Committee, is believed to be at least one vote short of the 15 votes he needs, though up to six senators are reportedly wavering.
"The Pentagon was caught flat footed by this sudden change in the legislative landscape and officials are scrambling to figure out whether they are for or against the compromise - and whether there are enough votes on the Hill to pass it," reports Martin.
Sens. Carl Levin (D-MI), Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and Rep. Patrick Murphy sent a letter today to Mr. Obama urging him to support their "legislative proposal...that puts a process in place to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' once the working group has completed its review and you, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs certify that repeal can be achieved consistent with the military's standards of readiness, effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention."
"It is our firm belief that it is time to repeal this discriminatory policy that not only dishonors those who are willing to give their lives in service to their country but also prevents capable men and women with vital skills from serving in the Armed Forces at a time when our Nation is fighting two wars," they write.
The White House said they support the Democrat's legislative amendment to repeal "Don't Ask" even though it would have been ideal to wait until the review was finished.
"The Administration is of the view that the proposed amendment meets the concerns raised by the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff," Peter Orszag, the director of the Office of Management and Budget for the White House wrote in a letter to Lieberman. "The Administration therefore supports the proposed amendment."
If there is a silver lining it is probably that the fags will all finally find another way out of the service and go home with the win under their belt. “Mission Accomplished”. Their “service” had nothing to do with “service to their country”. If it was, flaunting their fagness would have been unimportant. This was about acceptance of their perverted lifestyle.
So if they “repeal” it doesn’t that mean they GO BACK TO the previous policy? Which was NO gays in the military, right?
I always thought “dont ask dont tell” was just putting into words the existing policy to allow Clintoon to pretend he did something.
Yeah, that whole economic collapse thing can wait....
Um, no.
Why don’t we just lay down our arms now and surrender to China. It’s inevitable.
The larger than life, faggot himself, usurper commie bastard 0bozo!
Just what we need in time for a blow out in Korea- a rainbow brigade
Guess what Brucie? If captured by the enemy- don’t tell
Come on Republicans this is an easy one. Obama and the Democrats are putting fags before national security. This is not only inappropriate but stupid.
They’ll do anything to weaken America. Anything.
Obama and the Democrats are putting Sodomy before national security. This is not only inappropriate but immoral.
Just a couple additions to those statements Maelstorm.
Thanks!
This is going to be a real hit to our national security once the Pentagon’s bottom line takes the hits that the big corporations’ bottom line took. If this is “repealed”, the lawsuits are going to be coming hot and heavy at the Pentagon from the fags and their lawyers. Homosexual harassment this, homosexual harassment that. I recommend that the military beef up its JAG corp. It is going to need it.
Teamwork.;)
Obama is no CIC. He’s SIC.
These seditious SOBs will never satiate their reprobate minds until they have completely destroyed this nation.
At some point, I expect (and pray) that those who believe the oath of affirmation they took “to uphold, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States” will decide the “march to oblivion” has gone far enough, and take serious action to subdue these twisted bastards.
May your disrespect toward the troops — as it results solely because
of political pay-back that you owe to your 2008 election gay supporters —
come back to haunt you ...
What part of “We are days away from fundamentally transforming America.” didn’t you understand.
The thing that gets me is that Mullen is long past the point in his career where he has to share shower, or berthing facilities with other men, so he thinks nothing of forcing straight men to take showers with gay men or share the same sleeping areas with gay men. And for those who say this isn’t an issue, then why do they have separate shower/berthing for female and male service members.
It’s the Obama way.. Alienate many to please the few.
So what will happen with gays in the military? It may just work out they are accepted. But, no doubt they we join the "bachelor group", to be "volunteered" for the crap/dangerous duties where no commander can envision writing the letter to the grieving widow and fatherless children at home.
Be careful what you wish for.
Why do those idiots Gates and Mullen want to bring AIDS into the military? Nobody ever brings up this issue. The last time I checked there was no cure.
Better yet, the recent decision to station women on submarines is going to work out so well. /more sarcasm.
As everybody says on this board and others, political correctness is turning American strength into a "wussified" secondary power.
I remember years ago about the libs using Israel for the model of women in combat. I've read that Israel has reversed that policy some years back because it just didn't work. Maybe I'm wrong. Correct me if so.
Funny you would mention this.
I went to college about 3 years ago with a guy who was a flaming FDRQ. We were in Culinary Arts together, and I must say he was fine cook (albeit with a weird sense of what went together, for example, wasabi taffy. I kid you not.)
When he got close to graduating, I asked him if he wanted to continue to pursue the culinary field. He replied, “No, I am joining the Navy.” I was shocked, so I asked him why and what he intended to do. “I want to serve my country, and I want to be a nuclear power specialist.” Apparently, He tested rather high in certain areas of his ASVAB, and the recruiter offered him the nuke propulsion program on the spot. He went in 2 months after he graduated from college (with a culinary degree).
IF he survived boot camp, he’s probably finishing his nuke training soon.
I did ask him if he was concerned his ‘orientation’ was going to cause him problems, and he SAID he wasn’t concerned.
Well, he may not be...but I AM. I am not sure I want someone like him working near a nuclear power plant on one of our Navy ships of the line.
Yep.
This would be yet another public condoning and encouraging of sinful behavior by the United States government. A slap in the face to God.
Americans who voted in these horrible people have my contempt.
I saw this sticker on the car in front of me last week.
Whey you notice that, you want to look at the driver, and the people inside a vehicle that would display something like this.
So I looked.
Not only was her appearance inept, mangy, and sloppy, but her countenance was angry and vile.
Then she made an illegal left hand turn into traffic before the light turned green.
Is anyone surprised here? This is what I call the, well i can’t say it here but the felinization of not just america but the western world. Ever since the Civil Rights Act, things have been spiraling into a “turn men into women” scenario. All the commercials show WOMEN as smart and MEN as dumb. Divorce is the jackpot for women, who can kick the guy out and keep the wallet. Then alienate the children from the father (with the help of the family court system) and put junior on “meds” for acting like a boy. Is it no wonder that we have weak, easily intimidated, women-like men and “strong” angry militant “feminists” roaming the earth. The offshoot of this is gender confusion and subsequently the boom and acceptance of “alternative lifestyles” The stupid are protected to breed by the endless armies of attornies waiting to reward their stupidity through endless law suits, usually targeting “deep pocket” i.e productive people. (Another way of redistribution of wealth)
Color me unsurprised. The slippery slope started 50 years ago.
AND the muslim world is laughing as they prepare their eight or so children from each family to go to war against the western world. Taking full advantage of the pervasive political correctness seen from Australia, to Western Europe, to the Americas. There is no ‘civil rights’ in the Muslim world and it is now their greatest advantage.
May God have mercy on these sinful homosexuals and their eager enablers.
The Democrats and the STUPID people that voted for them have succeeded at DESTROYING our fine Military!!
I have heard from many older navy guys (who knew/saw both policies) that putting females aboard combatants has totally changed they dynamics onboard the vessels. It’s tough for me to understand how putting the females aboard, who everybody accepts are significantly less physically capable on average, is not detrimental to damage control.
Just wait until after the November elections. If the Republicans sweep it and leave the Dims in a minority in the next Congress (Jan 4 2011), I expect that we will see Nancy, Harry, and Barak passing and signing every social democratic piece of legislation they can think of.
well stated.
As with all liberals, they are never satisfied with live and let live. They have to FORCE their way of life and beliefs on everyone else.
Everyday day there is a new outrage.
What will be the straw that finally breaks the camel’s back and starts the OPEN Rebellion? That time is drawing closer and closer.
You have one in the white house.Now you are seeing social cohesion disappear.He is doing that purposefully, sort of an anti Camelot president, the Mordred type of King Arthur infamy.Obama is truly a "Dark Lord."
I notice he has refised to go to Arlington for Memorial Day.The piker is now afraid, and well he should be.
They finally gonna ask Kagan?
Afraid he might stuff wasabi taffy into the coolant pipes?
They’ll need a draft in a few years.
Every base will have a lawyer to find for homorights everytime a Sgt yells and makes someone cry.
It is a slap in the face to everyone who ever served. Handicapped people are willing to give their life for their country so where do we draw the line, no paraplegics or quadrapelgics? Every year thousands of service members are discharged for failure to maintain their weight, fat body discrimination must stop! We need to redefine standards because fat bodies are willing to serve and die. Allot of people from allot of groups are barred from service, for the good of the service. Does not mean they are not patriotic, I know of men who starved themselves to make weight to enlist, but could not sustain their weight and were kicked out. Lieberman is a scum bag, literally and figuratively.
Johnny will be prancing off to war soon.
Obama will need a draft of millions to get the angry young men off the streets. Our angry young men will be sent to kill the angry young men of South Central Asia and on the Yellow Sea.
History is repeating itself.
I wonder if Rosie the Riveter will gleefully march off to the factory with the patriotic fervor as they did in the 40’s.
Yeah, because THIS is what we need to worry about right now!
We have double-digit unemployment, a trillion dollar deficit, oil clogging up the Gulf, and N Korea about to go apesh*t, and we’re worried about gays in the military?? WTF???
I always look to see who is still clueless enough to keep the bumper stickers on their cars.
9 out of 10 times they’re women, more often than not, exactly as you describe them.
IMO, the goal is to advance an agenda. Weakening America is a consequence..not a goal.
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