We, down here, will always reserve the right to play the last card in the deck. It's our birth right...
Posted on 05/28/2010 2:27:41 AM PDT by Red Steel
The days of of the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy appeared to draw closer to their end as the House voted Thursday night to repeal the law following a similar vote by the Senate Armed Service Committee to end an era in which gays couldn't openly serve in the armed services.
The House vote was 234 to 194 with the votes cast essentially on party lines. The Senate committee voted 16 to 12 for repeal.
While the votes represented a significant step towards ending the law under which service members whose same-sex preferences have become openly known have been discharged, more votes in both chambers would be necessary before a repeal could become law.
The stage was set for Thursday's votes by a compromise reached by the White House and Congress which allowed the vote to move forward this week but put off an actual end to the current policy which has been in place since 1993 until the Pentagon completes a review of the impact the change would have on military readiness.
A final end to the actual policy wouldn't occur until and unless President Barack Obama certified that the change wouldn't harm military effectiveness. Defense Secretary Bob Gates and Joint Chiefs Chair Adm. Mullen would also have to make the same certification.
Also, as Politico.com points out, there are complicating factors that have nothing to do with gay rights. The legislation is part of a defense authorization bill with many moving parts. A Politico excerpt:
The defense authorization bill typically passes with wide margins, but last year was an exception, as many Republicans voted against the bill because it included a hate-crimes provision.
The inclusion of don't ask don't tell could set up a similar dynamic this year.
And because the House defied President Obama's veto threat to hang onto funding for two Joint Strike Fighter engines, the situation is even stickier.
The two actions could put Obama between a promise he's made to his most powerful Cabinet member to strike down a bill containing engine funding and his liberal base of support on a landmark civil rights issue.
– G. ROUGHEAD, CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS: “My concern is that legislative changes at this point, regardless of the precise language used, may cause confusion on the status of the law in the Fleet and disrupt the review process itself by leading Sailors to question whether their input matters.”
– JAMES T. CONWAY, COMMANDANT OF MARINE CORPS: “I encourage Congress to let the process the Secretary of Defense created to run its course. Collectively, we must use logical and pragmatic decisions about the long-term policies of our Armed Forces.”
– NORTON SCHWARTZ, CHIEF OF STAFF (USAF): “I believe it is important, a matter of keeping faith with those currently serving in the Armed Forces, and the Secretary of Defense commissioned review be completed before there is any legislation to repeal the DA/DT law…To do otherwise, in my view, would be presumptive and would reflect an intent to act before all relevant factors are assessed digested and understood.”
– GEORGE CASEY, CHIEF OF STAFF (ARMY): “I also believe that repealing the law before the completion of the review will be seen by the men and women of the Army as a reversal of our commitment to hear their views before moving forward.”
I think it would have helped if our limp-wristed political generals would have been a little more direct in their defense of this unprecedented, disastrous attack on our military. Could these guys have been any more oblique??
These guys have to walk a fine line. They understand that the next step will be a witch hunt to eliminate those who oppose (and opposed) gays entering the military. The also understand that this is identity politics and they don’t want to say anything that will get them sued. This is the calm before the mob of torch wielding, hay-rake carrying peasants hunts them down and hangs them.
Next, officers will be required in their oath to affirmatively state that they support gays. Units will be REQUIRED to march in gay pride events where they will be pawed and molested by drunken participants.
From this point forward any officer will be asked by the promotion board to state that he supports gays in the military; whether he does or not.
One impact of this will be fewer good candidates going in and a higher rate of experienced soldier failing to reenlist.
And, lastly, at some point every soldier will be required to earn the BJ merit badge.
these people are all going to pay a terrible cost for ignoring , and not seeking , the majority feelings and opinions of the rank & file members of the Services before they try and stuff this down their throats
We, down here, will always reserve the right to play the last card in the deck. It's our birth right...
This Congress and this Usurper president would screw up a two car funeral.
An openly homosexual Military some say it destroyed Rome.
Zero and his corruptocrats keep on sticking the stick in our face.We will snap back one day and it won’t be pretty.The Kenyan takes everything we are proud of and s*its on it.
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