[Amfdaaandhaq]

Obama to call for 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' repeal, adviser says
By Laurie Ure, CNN Pentagon Producer
January 27, 2010 -- Updated 2336 GMT (0736 HKT)

Washington (CNN) -- President Obama will ask Congress Wednesday night to repeal the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that bars gays and lesbians from openly serving in, White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod told CNN.

The request will be included in the president's State of the Union address, Axelrod said.

The issue has been a source of contention for heavy hitters on both sides of the issue, who are lining up for a fight.

In a message to Pentagon leadership, Gen. John Shalikashvili, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said it's time to repeal the law.

"As a nation built on the principal of equality, we should recognize and welcome change that will build a stronger more cohesive military," said Shalikashvili. His letter was sent out Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, who supports repealing the policy.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, flatly disagreed with the idea of ending it.

"When it comes to 'don't ask don't tell,' frankly, I think it's worked very well. And we just ought to leave it alone," he said to reporters Wednesday morning.

Weigh in on the President's address

The policy prohibits openly gay men and women from serving in the U.S. armed forces.

The policy bans military recruiters or authorities from asking about an individual's sexual orientation, but also prohibits a service member from revealing that he or she is gay.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Michigan, who told reporters on Monday that the president would discuss the "don't ask, don't tell" policy in his speech, supports ending the practice, but wants to go about it carefully.

Levin said he did not have any details about what the president would say.

"If we do this in a way which isn't sensitive ... we could have exactly the opposite effect of what I hope will be the case -- which is to change the policy," he said Monday.

Levin said the committee plans to hold hearings on the issue in early February, although the hearing may be with outside experts -- delaying a hearing with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen, that had originally been promised, CNN was told by a congressional source.

Obama campaigned on the promise that he would repeal the law in his first year of office.

Speaking to the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign, in October, Obama admitted that "our progress may be taking longer than we like," but he insisted his administration was still on track to overturn the policy.

"Do not doubt the direction we are heading and the destination we will reach," he said.

Pentagon Spokesman Geoff Morrell deflected repeated questions about the policy at Wednesday's Pentagon briefing, directing reporters to take their questions to the White House.

"We continue to work on this problem," said Morrell. "But I'm not going to get into it with more specificity than that."

[Amfdaaandhaq]

It's such an incredibly stupid policy to begin with that it is a travesty that it has taken this long for politicians to move forward with the repeal. I'm real pleased to see it is part of tonight's speech.

[Vzkdgdqx]

And there it is.

[Ettiominiw]

Hey hey hey
What did I tell you before when I was up
Anxiety was bringing me down
I'm tired of listening to you talking in rhymes
Twisting round to make me think you're straight down the line
All you do to me is talk talk
Talk
talk talk talk

[Amfdaaandhaq]

Hey hey hey
What did I tell you before when I was up
Anxiety was bringing me down
I'm tired of listening to you talking in rhymes
Twisting round to make me think you're straight down the line
All you do to me is talk talk
Talk
talk talk talk

I love Talk Talk. I wanted to throw a tomato at Gwen and the boys for remaking "It's My Life".

[Ettiominiw]

I love Talk Talk. I wanted to throw a tomato at Gwen and the boys for remaking "It's My Life".

She really didn't capture the essence of that song did she?

[Amfdaaandhaq]

She really didn't capture the essence of that song did she?

There was a sense of desperation in the original that was completely missed by Gwen's breathy, non-emotive vocals. There's some No Doubt stuff I really enjoy, but it was a huge mistake for them to remake this.

[Ettiominiw]

There was a sense of desperation in the original that was completely missed by Gwen's breathy, non-emotive vocals. There's some No Doubt stuff I really enjoy, but it was a huge mistake for them to remake this.

That's what I was thinking, I found the Talk Talk version much darker.

[Vzkdgdqx]

And there's another thread TATjacked.

[riverakathy]

When DADT was first announced, I thought it was a big step forward. Only later did I realize the inherent problems with the policy. I didn't know Obama planned on dealing with it this year. I was pleasantly surprised while watching tonight's speech.

[Ettiominiw]

When DADT was first announced, I thought it was a big step forward. Only later did I realize the inherent problems with the policy. I didn't know Obama planned on dealing with it this year. I was pleasantly surprised while watching tonight's speech.

He risked the LGBT vote which I think is at least 7.5 million strong if he didn't address it.

[Seilehogshell]

I don't recall Obama promising to end DADT in his first year, but if someone has the source, please remind me.

[Seilehogshell]

He risked the LGBT vote which I think is at least 7.5 million strong if he didn't address it.

I'll remain a broken record on this as well:

It didn't hurt President Clinton one bit with the LGBT vote.

[Karpattaisp]

When DADT was first announced, I thought it was a big step forward. Only later did I realize the inherent problems with the policy. I didn't know Obama planned on dealing with it this year. I was pleasantly surprised while watching tonight's speech.

DADT is what happens when you have to make bi-partisan compromises, but I still think it was best for the Clinton administration to take what they could get on this one. I think this is better than what was before it and while I know it still isn't great, I do think it has lessened the violence toward homosexuals in the military to some extent and allowed the military to get comfortable with the idea that there may be gays among them. I think it was probably a good step forward for the 1990s, but it has long passed its usefulness. Now it is harming the military, it is harming gay soldiers, and it's past time it was repealed.

He risked the LGBT vote which I think is at least 7.5 million strong if he didn't address it.

Where could the vote go? to Palin? That tends to be the problem with lots of groups on the Left (which tends to include human rights groups), there isn't really a viable alternative. Lots of the Right wants to pass constitutional amendments to define marriage as traditional marriage and staying home increases those odds. I know there are lots of wealthy LGBT contributors, and that's important to any candidate, but...

I vote for people based on their stance on LGBT issues...in the primaries. I will vote against a strong incumbent Democrat for someone who supports LGBT issues. But in the general?

[Ettiominiw]

DADT is what happens when you have to make bi-partisan compromises, but I still think it was best for the Clinton administration to take what they could get on this one. I think this is better than what was before it and while I know it still isn't great, I do think it has lessened the violence toward homosexuals in the military to some extent and allowed the military to get comfortable with the idea that there may be gays among them. I think it was probably a good step forward for the 1990s, but it has long passed its usefulness. Now it is harming the military, it is harming gay soldiers, and it's past time it was repealed.



Where could the vote go? to Palin? That tends to be the problem with lots of groups on the Left (which tends to include human rights groups), there isn't really a viable alternative. Lots of the Right wants to pass constitutional amendments to define marriage as traditional marriage and staying home increases those odds. I know there are lots of wealthy LGBT contributors, and that's important to any candidate, but...

I vote for people based on their stance on LGBT issues...in the primaries. I will vote against a strong incumbent Democrat for someone who supports LGBT issues. But in the general?

They wont vote. A lot have been witholding money from the DNC, HRC, GLAAD until some action is taken on promises made.

[Ettiominiw]

I don't recall Obama promising to end DADT in his first year, but if someone has the source, please remind me.

He didn't, but the LGBT community can see the writing on the wall, the super majority is gone, more losses likely in Nov. and a growing discontent with a sense of squandering this opportunity to get ENDA, DOMA, and DADT thrown away before the republicans take control back (which feels inevitable). If the Independants start working harder to get the LGBT vote, there will be a mass exodus from the Democratic party. He's only as good as his congress and if can't get them to get much done there's a problem.

[Vzkdgdqx]

Both Olbermann and Maddow reported that the President did, in fact, promise to repeal it in his first year.

[Seilehogshell]

He didn't, but the LGBT community can see the writing on the wall.

I still don't know who belongs to the "LGBT community" you speak of. If the "leaders" of those groups you listed want to take their money and go home, then let them. They'd be better off organizing real movements for marriage equality across the nation (and not just marches on Washington for show) instead of complaining and threatening, but that would be too much like right.

But I was responding to the article that opened this thread. It claimed Obama promised to repeal DADT in his first year as president and as far as I'm aware, that's false. But there it is in print, in a "legitimate" outlet and it's simply not true.

Another falsehood reported as fact to help make it appear as though this president is failing across the board.

[Seilehogshell]

Both Olbermann and Maddow reported that the President did, in fact, promise to repeal it in his first year.

Did they air a video or post a written promise from his original campaign website? I don't take their word on much regarding the president at this point.

I don't remember everything, and lately, my memory is slipping a lot, but I'd like a source that shows me in his owns words that he did.

Still won't change how I feel about the matter, but I'd like to know if the article is factually accurate or not.

[Ettiominiw]

I still don't know who belongs to the "LGBT community" you speak of. If the "leaders" of those groups you listed want to take their money and go home, then let them. They'd be better off organizing real movements for marriage equality across the nation (and not just marches on Washington for show) instead of complaining and threatening, but that would be too much like right.

But I was responding to the article that opened this thread. It claimed Obama promised to repeal DADT in his first year as president and as far as I'm aware, that's false. But there it is in print, in a "legitimate" outlet and it's simply not true.

Another falsehood reported as fact to help make it appear as though this president is failing across the board.

For the amount of work and money that was spent on getting him elected, he has made some serious mis steps starting with Rick Warren and ending with Maine marriage and a few in between.