Another chance to end DADT nixed by Obama

Earlier in the week, Congressman Alcee Hastings of Florida added an amendment to the Defense Appropriations Act that would have prevented the government from using your tax dollars to continue kicking gays and lesbians out of the military.  The following day the amendment was quietly withdrawn due to pressure from the Obama administration. 

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network responded in a statement:  "We hope it's not true that the White House pressured Representative Hastings to withdraw his amendment to stop funding 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' investigations.  Such a move would surely go against President Obama's commitment to end DADT.  Now we need to see some positive action, some follow through from this White House."  (Empty podium, sound of crickets.) 

Hastings appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show Wednesday to confirm that the Obama Administration did in fact kill the amendment.  He expressed his disappointment over the decision.  When Maddow asked the lawmaker how it  went down, Hastings replied that although he didn't speak personally with the President, "liaisons" from the White House attended a meeting to discuss the appropriations bill and demanded that the amendment be removed.  They cited, once again, Obama's shopworn excuse of "the time is not right."  (Is there a "right time" for equality?)   

This was another perfect opportunity to begin the process of ending the military's unfair (and staggeringly expensive) policy of firing qualified soldiers who happen to be gay.  The administration's latest delaying measure is sadly remindful of that insulting legal brief the White House used to make its case for preserving The Defense of Marriage Act.  You'll recall that administration apologists defended the DOMA brief, which likened committed same-sex unions to incest and adults marrying children, by saying that the President wasn't personally responsible for the inflammatory language adopted by his own Department of Justice.  But how is Obama not responsible for highhandedly blocking Hastings' amendment?  It has become increasingly clear that Obama not only has no plans to promote LGBT equality, but that his administration is working against advancing any substantive rights for gay and lesbian Americans.  If this is the "Change We Can Believe In," we'd do just as well to pin our hopes on The Tooth Fairy.   (Image courtesy of Mark Behm)

Comments

[Queeny]

I think The Big O's religious background is responsible for his not pushing LGBT rights. Maybe he DOES think we're doomed to hell, so "why bother" !

[Tim]

Obama isn't going to do anything for us. He begged for our votes, he took our money, and now we're screwed. If DOMA and DADT isn't overturned by 2010, I'll be sitting out the midterm elections. The Democrats can take a flying leap.

[Kevin Hicks]

Didn't Obama call himself a fierce leader? I won't be contributing another dollar to the Dems. Show me some progress, then we'll talk.

[Bee Girl]

Bush the Decider-in-Chief. Obama the Promise-Breaker-in-Chief.

[Aggie (in Fair Haven, Vt.)]

This is really odd, because it seems like Gates is ready for DADT to be over and done
with...