Obama Betrays Gays

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/18/08 at 10:15am

From September 2008:

Obama won't repeal 'don't ask' on his own
By NEDRA PICKLER – 16 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrat Barack Obama said if elected president he would not try to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on his own.

Obama said in an interview to run in gay publications Thursday that he wants to work with military leaders to build a consensus on removing the ban on openly gay service members in the armed forces. He said that wouldn't be accomplished by attaching a signing statement to a military spending bill, a process that President Bush has used to set other military policies.

"I want to make sure that when we revert 'don't ask, don't tell,' it's gone through a process and we've built a consensus or at least a clarity of what my expectations are so that it works. My first obligation as the president is to make sure that I keep the American people safe and that our military is functioning effectively," Obama said. "Although I have consistently said I would repeal 'don't ask, don't tell,' I believe that the way to do it is make sure that we are working through a process, getting the Joint Chiefs of Staff clear in terms of what our priorities are going to be."

"Don't ask, don't tell" is intended to keep the military from asking recruits their sexual orientation. In 1993, President Clinton implemented the policy, a compromise after he was unable to make good on his campaign pledge to open the military to gays.

Obama's interview was with Mark Segal, publisher of the Philadelphia Gay News, on behalf of the Gay History Project, a coalition of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender publications. Republican presidential nominee John McCain did not respond to an interview request, Segal said.

Obama also declined to commit to have his attorney general support a lawsuit against the Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal recognition of same-sex marriages and gives states the right to refuse to recognize such marriages. Obama said he's not sure the 1996 law would be overturned by the courts and he prefers a legislative solution.

Updated On: 3/30/09 at 10:15 AM

Posted: 9/18/08 at 10:20am

Do you remember what happened January 11, 1993?

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/18/08 at 10:28am

Not off hand, can you refresh my memory?

Posted: 9/18/08 at 10:37am

That is when the poop hit the fan after word spread that Clinton would end the gay ban with an executive order immediately after his inauguration one week later. The next three weeks were consumed with fights and threats over the issue to the point that nothing else could be done. Finally, in an effort to move on, Clinton agreed to postpone ANY action for 6 months. As the New York Times dryly observed in their story of January 30th: "Mr. Clinton's aides said that although they had expected that the policy reversal would stir opposition -- especially among Republican leaders in the Senate -- they did not expect it to come as ferociously and from as many quarters as it did."

When you have centuries of ingrained prejudice, you can't eliminate it with the wave of a pen. "I want to make sure that when we revert 'don't ask, don't tell,' it's gone through a process and we've built a consensus or at least a clarity of what my expectations are so that it works." Absolutely correct.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/18/08 at 10:42am

No, Obama is about the same as Bill Clinton on gay rights issues. They all wish we'd just go away.

Obama will make promises to get our votes, and then break those promises at the first sign of trouble. He'll beg for my vote on Monday, and send me to the ovens on Tuesday.

McCain wouldn't even beg for my vote, he'd just ship me to the camps. At least he's honest about it.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 9/18/08 at 10:46am

You at the barricade listen to this
No one is coming to
help you to fight
You're on your own
You have no friends
Give up your guns - or die!

Posted: 9/18/08 at 12:04pm

Obama is going to "send you to the ovens." Really. I'm speechless.

[Biff AKA Levi]

Posted: 9/18/08 at 12:10pm

Obama's way of doing it sounds good to me.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/18/08 at 12:25pm

While I don't necessarily have any faith in Obama, I don't see any sign of "betrayal". Obama claims to be headed for the same destination, just taking a different route. He is not President and has taken no action either way as of yet, so there is no act of "betrayal". Just talk. Regardless, actions speak louder than words. I don't believe a single one of these people during their campaigns. They've never given me a reason to.

Obama will make promises to get our votes, and then break those promises at the first sign of trouble.

You're surprised by this? He's a politician running for President. Only the completely self-deluded believe everything campaigning Presidential candidates promise. It's ridiculous.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/18/08 at 12:28pm

No, Matt, I'm not surprised at all. I've been seeing this coming for months, I'm just surprised that he's making it so clear so quickly, before the election even, that he's going to ignore his campaign promises to the gay community.

Posted: 9/18/08 at 12:38pm

Roscoe could you please cite the promise he's broken here?

Never mind. Someone who thinks he's headed for the oven is immune to logic here.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/18/08 at 12:43pm

Joe, lighten up.

He's clearly sending signals that he's going to take the legislative way out, so that he can go back on his promises about DADT and the DOMA without actually going back on them. He can say "There just weren't enough votes" or "We're just not ready" and move on.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 9/18/08 at 1:44pm

Once again, I am tired of people denouncing Bill Clinton for DADT and DOMA. There were NOT betrayals. They were compromises to protect us from harsher legislation. Joe is absolutely right---the furor was so harsh when Bill tried to remove the ban that we could have ended up with a Constitutional Amendment. DADT is immensely easier to get rid of than a CA. The same is true for DOMA.

Obama can not wave away DADT or DOMA with a pen. It involves getting Congress to remove them. How refreshing that Obama realizes the flaw in Clinton's good intentions: you can not waltz into the White House and make that kind of change so easily. You HAVE to build a consensus and do it right or it will backfire.

So, no, Obama has NOT betrayed us. The only thing Obama has said that we could take issue with is his stance on marriage vs civil unions. And guess what? EVERY candidate that wants to get elected HAS to say that right now.

The truth is that Obama is with us on every issue and I imagine he is also with us on marriage. As I have said before, I do not believe that Obama (or Hillary) would halt progress.

Biden is the same. He has a terrific record on gay issues. He has the politically popular stance on marriage. But when asked on Fox News once if gay marriage was inevitable, he said he believed it was.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 9/18/08 at 2:10pm

Barack Obama is the most gay rights friendly presidential candidate in history. Look at his record. Look at the things he says. Stop trying to turn him into your personal bogeyman because he's not saying exactly what you want to hear.

I think Senator Obama knows there are a lot of people out there who are parsing his words very carefully, looking for any reason to be offended (such as yourself, Roscoe). Particularly Republicans who are salivating at a chance to stoke the culture war with some choice words from an interview with a Gay magazine.

Let the poor guy get elected first before you start making demands. You know Steve Hildebrand, his deputy campaign manager, the guy who convinced him to run for President, is gay?

Frankly, any gay person who fails to support Obama over McCain probably deserves what they get.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/18/08 at 2:14pm

He'll certainly get my vote, but I'm under no illusions about what he's going to do when/if he's elected in terms of gay rights.

He'll do as little as possible to make it look like he is doing something, the barest of bare minimums, and then will ditch at the first opposition.

I hope I'm wrong. I'm certainly going to vote for him, as there's just no other option.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 9/18/08 at 2:37pm

All things considered, gay rights were progressing pretty well on their own with Bush in power. If Obama gets elected, well, with a Democratic congress and a Democratic president, your outlook would realistically be much rosier. Maybe Alabama won't be ratifying gay marriage any time soon but many states will (or at least civil unions) and certainly Obama will enact other positive legislation.

But what with a crumbling economy, two wars with another on the horizon, and myriad other problems, I should imagine that gay rights isn't going to be his main preoccupation.

[DMsquared2]

Posted: 9/18/08 at 3:33pm

"Obama said in an interview to run in gay publications Thursday that he wants to work with military leaders to build a consensus on removing the ban on openly gay service members in the armed forces."

Heaven forbid he actually work with military leaders on an issue that affects the military!

[EugLoven]

Posted: 9/18/08 at 5:54pm

Question: Would you prefer a political candidate to at least TALK about it? Or ignore the issue all-together.

I don't commonly "bow" to politics, but having a conversation about any gay-topic (in my opinion), is better than not talking about it at all.

Let's get Obama in the Whitehouse before we start worrying about how hawt we'll look in fatigues.

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 9/18/08 at 10:09pm

If it's going to be repealed, then Obamas plan sounds like the right one to me (for whatever my opinion is worth)

[The Ghost of Kringas]

Posted: 9/18/08 at 10:32pm

I love the name Nedra Pickler.

[Parks]

Posted: 9/19/08 at 3:11am

Obama, a deal's a deal!

We are SO not best friends anymore. ugh, kbye.

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/19/08 at 2:35pm

I think it goes without saying, but it is ashame that anything has to be repealed or legislation has to be signed regarding this. Gay people sign up for the military, fight and unfortunately lose their lives like any other person.

[Maraclea2]

Posted: 9/19/08 at 3:29pm

I bet Donnie McClurkin is smiling.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 3/30/09 at 3:24pm

Gosh, guys, Obama's administration is so gay friendly, that they'll just put off keeping any of their promises:

Gates: No change soon on `don't ask, don't tell'
1 day ago

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Don't expect any change soon to the "don't ask, don't tell" policy about gays in the military.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says both he and President Barack Obama have "a lot on our plates right now." As Gates puts it, "let's push that one down the road a little bit."

The White House has said Obama has begun consulting with Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on how to lift the ban. Gates says that dialogue has not really progressed very far at this point in the administration.

The Pentagon policy was put in place after President Bill Clinton tried to lift the ban on gay service members in 1993.

The policy refers to the military practice of not asking recruits their sexual orientation. In turn, service members are banned from saying they are gay or bisexual, engaging in homosexual activity or trying to marry a member of the same sex.

Gates appeared on "Fox News Sunday."


The story here...

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 3/30/09 at 3:33pm