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Without giving any specifics,,President Barack Obama pledged to end the U.S. military's dated and bizarre ban on openly queer homosexuals serving in the military. During a speech at the annual Human Rights Campaign dinner on Saturday, Obama said, "I will end 'don't ask-don't tell."
According to AP, Obama also told the presumably elated crowd:
"We should not be punishing patriotic Americans who have stepped forward to serve the country," Obama said. "We should be celebrating their willingness to step forward and show such courage ... especially when we are fighting two wars."I appreciate that many of you don't believe progress has come fast enough," Obama said. "Do not doubt the direction we are heading and the destination we will reach."
The President also asked for on Congress to repeal the Defense Of Marriage Act This comes on the heels of Obama's surprise Nobel Peace Prize award.
No word yet, however, as to when he'll end the war.
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After healthcare. Late winter.
DADT, I mean. Not the war.
Yeah, he also said he was for due process and against warrantless wiretapping, and for a "public option". I wouldn't hold my breath.
As much as I'm in favor of gay rights, the guy needs to stop the war, solve the recession, then fix health care before he should give a shit about gays in the military.
Come on here people, PRIORITIES!
All he has to do to end DADT is put his John Handcock on a piece of paper. He doesn't even have to draft the text himself! He can easily squeeze teh signing in between meetings on all the complicated shit.
Obama could end DADT with an Executive Order. By punting it to Congress, he's effectively passing the buck for it never getting done. What with the stellar job they've done getting the rest of his agenda passed (so how about that universal health care), are we supposed to be enthused that Obama says he'll ask Congress to end DADT?
1) Congress is meant to be more important than the Executive. This is why our Founding Fathers rebelled against against a king, established the houses in Article I of the Constitution (as opposed to II or III...), etc. Punting it to the more representative of the branches may be slower, but would be more legitimate.
2) Legitimacy is extremely important, especially when a politician must strategically use their political capital. Even though the prize undoubtedly increased that capital, the health care debates are also undoubtedly sucking it up at an amazingly fast pace.
Just sit tight. It'll get done.
Oh, also, Executive Orders can be repealed simply with a new President. Remember the 8 years we just spent with a Republican?
going to make for an interesting and loud end of the year... health care plus this, going to be a lot of 'words' being tossed back and forth between sides. At least it'll make watching the talking heads on TV interesting.
And, didn't anyone think twice when Obama made promises to nearly every demographic and group that he was going to solve their problems. It would be nice to see him do something when it comes to gay rights but I feel that he is a pandering politician and he is not going to follow through on much of it.
This just in!!! Obama wins the Heisman Trophy after watching a college football game!!!