Why is the White House already wavering on Obama's commitment to repeal DADT this year?

As John noted below, we learned from Kerry Eleveld's question to Robert Gibbs today that the White House would not commit to repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell this year. Here's Kerry's question:

Senator Lieberman is planning to introduce a "don't ask, don't tell" repeal bill next week. Would the president like to see Congress pass repeal this year?

The simple answer would have been "yes." But, as usual, that's not what we got.

Here's the thing: The President made a commitment to repeal DADT in his State of the Union last month:

This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.

The President specifically said "this year." And, he said, "It's the right thing to do." It is. So why won't they just do it? Why is the White House hedging after the President promised it in front of 50 million people on national television?

Over the past year, we've seen that when White House spokespeople, particularly Gibbs, start to waver and equivocate, it's because the White House team is wavering and equivocating behind the scenes. This is important because, as Servicemembers United pointed out this morning, the President has a critical role insuring the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell:

To strengthen the prospects for the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and to reduce political risk, the President can still order the Pentagon to include "Set End-date / Delayed Implementation" repeal language in one of the legislative policy transmittals that will soon be sent to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees by the Department of Defense. These policy proposal packages serve as indications of White House and Pentagon support for policy changes to be included in the next National Defense Authorization Act.

In other words, the President still has time to signal in his Defense budget submissions to Congress that he wants DADT repealed this year by including it in the Defense Authorization bill. The President has a role, he can help make it happen.

This doesn't make sense. The President owned the repeal of DADT when he gave it such prominence in the State of the Union (and we all know he campaigned on the issue too.) When the President said on January 27, 2010, that he was going to try to get DADT repealed this year, most Americans thought he meant it. Apparently, the message geniuses at the White House now have a different interpretation of what Obama meant. But, in the real world, most of us heard that DADT was going to be repealed -- this year. And, we expect President Obama to do his part to make it happen, before it's too late. Read More...

White House today refused to commit to DADT repeal this year, just as we find out that Dems may lose the House

To all the Obama administration apologists who scolded us because we needed to "give the President time," if you had more experience in politics, you'd have understood the urgency. If we lose the House, kiss our entire agenda good bye. All the more reason it's troubling that the White House is still not leading on DADT.

From Kerry Eleveld we learn that White House spokesman Robert Gibbs refused to commit to passing the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell this year, and he isn't very worried about Democrats losing the House or Senate this fall. Then again, the White House wasn't very worried about Martha Coakley losing in Massachusetts until the last several days before the election.

If we lose the House and/or Senate, our agenda is over. And the fact that the White House is refusing to push for DADT this year, refuses to come up with a plan for passage, could severely cripple our chances at making it a reality.

The Human Rights Campaign says they've communicated their desires to the White House, they claim the White House has a plan for DADT, even though everyone else says it's not true. And now, yet again, as we hear the House may very well turn Republican in the November, dooming our chances to do anything significant on gay civil rights, the White House is yet again refusing to commit to passing the repeal this year.

It's increasingly looking like the Human Rights Campaign simply doesn't have any serious influence with this White House.

Don't Ask, Don't Give. Stop giving to the DNC, Organizing for America, and the President's re-election until the Democrats keep their promises. And pretty soon, we may need to add some national gay organizations to the list as well. Read More...

Anti-gay CPAC speaker has known 'hate group' promoting his virulently anti-gay book

This is interesting, yet not surprising. The virulently anti-gay speaker at CPAC who got booed by the audience, Ryan Sorba, has a book about gays, that calls the Stonewall uprising "terrorism," and the book is being promoted by none other than a known hate group, Mass Resistance. I say "hate group" because that's what the Southern Poverty Law Center calls them. You know SPLC, they're more famous for tracking the Klan and violent white supremacists.

Here the little nut is, in all of his being-booed glory:



You really have to wonder what happened to people like this to turn them into such maniacs. Read More...

69% ok with gays serving in military, including 62% of GOP

From CNN.com:

A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey indicates that 69 percent of the public favors allowing openly gay men and lesbian women to serve in the military, with 27 percent opposed.

"That's a dramatic turnaround from the early 1990s, when the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy was first being implemented," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "In 1994, only a bare 53 percent majority felt that gays and lesbians should be allowed to openly serve in the military."

Support for allowing gays in the military is much higher among Democrats than Republicans, but the policy wins support from a majority of Republicans as well. More than eight in ten Democrats say that gays should be allowed to serve; 62 of Republicans and 63 percent of Independents agree with that view.

Where's the plan, White House? Read More...

Servicemembers United explains how President and Senate can get DADT repealed

Servicemembers United, via press release, "enthusiastically lauded" the news that Senator Lieberman will introduce a DADT repeal bill in the Senate. Importantly, SU's release also details the critical role that President Obama can play in the process. And, it shows the only viable legislative route for success is to have the repeal provision attached to the Defense Authorization bill:

In response to the opportunity presented by this historic testimony, Servicemembers United recently resurfaced its "Set End-date / Delayed Implementation" model for repeal legislation and made the case for the introduction and adoption of such legislation in 2010. The proposal would see to it that full repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law gets locked in this year while also allowing the Pentagon time to complete it's analysis.

To strengthen the prospects for the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and to reduce political risk, the President can still order the Pentagon to include "Set End-date / Delayed Implementation" repeal language in one of the legislative policy transmittals that will soon be sent to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees by the Department of Defense. These policy proposal packages serve as indications of White House and Pentagon support for policy changes to be included in the next National Defense Authorization Act.

Additionally, the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee could insert Senator Lieberman's new bill into the Chairman's mark of the Fiscal Year 2011 National Defense Authorization Act, which will soon be drafted. Such a move, especially in combination with the Presidential action through Pentagon policy transmittals, could turn out to be the path of least resistance for repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law and could help shield vulnerable members of the President's and the Chairman's own party.

Servicemembers United's "Set End-date / Delayed Implementation" repeal plan can be found at www.servicemembersunited.org/2010plan.

Anyone supporting the repeal needs to understand the process explained in this release. It's critical for the Obama administration to follow through on its words about "repealing DADT" with action. The action is including repeal language in the policy recommendations sent from the Pentagon to Congress. As Servicemembers United noted, that would "strengthen the prospects for the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law." It's hard to figure out why the White House wouldn't want to strengthen the chances for repealing the law, since the President has made the repeal a priority this year. Servicemembers United also debunks the notion that the President has no role in the legislative process. He clearly does.

On Capitol Hill, the critical action will take place in the Senate Armed Services Committee. The members of that committee are listed here. There will be additional hearings on DADT over the next couple of weeks. And, the final Committee bill will likely be produced in April or May.

The key point is that if the repeal language is in the Committee's bill it will take an amendment on the Senate floor to remove it. That amendment can be filibustered, requiring 60 votes. If our side is forced to add the repeal language on the Senate floor, we'll need 60 votes to block a filibuster of the amendment. This is one time when Democratic leaders can use their power to our advantage -- by putting the repeal in the DOD authorization bill from the get go.

Lieberman says that he's been working with the White House on his legislation. Let's hope there is a real strategy to get it done that extends beyond the introduction of a bill. Servicemembers United has laid out the path. Now, our elected allies need to deliver. Read More...

Lieberman to sponsor DADT repeal. Key for success is including it in Def. authorization.

In Kerry Eleveld's weekly column, she reported the revelation that Senator Lieberman might be introducing a bill to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell:

The other interesting revelation on that call came from the center’s Winnie Stachelberg, who said she anticipated the introduction of repeal legislation in the Senate.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman “is looking toward introducing a repeal bill very shortly,” said Stachelberg.

A spokesman for Lieberman’s office told The Advocate he would not confirm the report.

“The senator and the staff have been consulting with the White House and the Senate leadership on the strategy for repeal,” said Marshall Wittmann.

While introduction of legislation to overturn "don't ask, don't tell" would certainly represent movement in the Senate, passing a stand-alone bill is still not considered to be the surest method for ending the policy. Including such a measure in this year’s defense authorization bill offers the best chance of securing repeal this year, according to almost every knowledgeable person with whom I’ve spoken.

That last part is key. The language to repeal DADT must be included in the Defense Authorization bill. The President can have the repeal policy included in recommendations sent from the Pentagon to the Senate. That would show the President's sincerity on the issue.

Apparently, Lieberman's consultations with the White House and Senate leadership have come to fruition. Today, the New York Daily News reports that Lieberman will "will announce that he's taking the lead on repeal. From the article, it's unclear what exactly the details are in the bill Lieberman will introduce, but hopefully it will be along the lines of the plan proposed by Servicemembers United. And, there's no indication what the strategy is for passing the repeal, although, he notes it will be hard:

Despite recent polling which shows overwhelming support for lifting the ban, Lieberman does not predict an easy fight. Even McCain, Lieberman's good friend and ally, is opposed, stating: "At a time when our armed forces are fighting and sacrificing on the battlefield, now is not the time to abandon the policy."

Again, there is an easier path if the White House and Senate Democrats agree to include the repeal language in the Defense Authorization bill. In fact, Lieberman and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin discussed that strategy during the hearing with Gates and Mullen:

SEN. LIEBERMAN: I appreciate that.

And, look, then the final, obviously, is that it’s up to us in the Congress and in the Senate. We’ve got to – we’ve got to get 60 votes to repeal don’t ask, don’t tell, or else it will remain in effect. Thank you.

SEN. LEVIN: Unless there’s a provision inside the Defense authorization bill; that goes to the floor, which would then require an amendment to strike it from the bill; in which case the 60-vote rule would be turning the other way. In fact –

SEN. LIEBERMAN: It is – (inaudible) – knowledge, but it is with great appreciation that I accept the higher wisdom – (laughter) – of the chairman of our committee.

SEN. LEVIN: (Laughs, laughter.)

SEN. LIEBERMAN: I think that’s a great way to go.

SEN. LEVIN: That’s on the record, everybody. (Laughter.)

It is a great way to go. It's the only way to go for success. Read More...