DADT: This Is A ‘Huge Mistake’ Since It Was The President Himself That Set The Expectations

From The Advocate: White House Sends Mixed Messages on DADT

Early in the year, multiple sources say some administration officials counseled the president against acting on the military’s gay ban in 2010. Still, Obama included his intention to end the policy in his State of the Union address, saying, “This year, I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law…”

Yet just days after the January 27 speech, White House officials convened a meeting on February 1 with LGBT advocates in which they said the policy would not be included in the president’s recommendations for this year’s Department of Defense authorization bill, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the meeting.

“It was a definitive shut-down from [Jim] Messina,” said a source, who was present at the meeting and agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity, referring to the White House deputy chief of staff. “He said it would not be going into the president’s Defense authorization budget proposal.” The news was a blow to activists since the Defense funding bill is the best legislative vehicle for including a measure to overturn the policy. “It almost seemed like the bar on the hurdle got raised two or three times higher,” said the source.

From Pam’s House Blend: Fiscal 2009 DADT Discharge Numbers Released

Although only 443 total discharges are included in the official statistic for fiscal year 2009, the true number of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” discharges is very likely higher. When pressed by Servicemembers United, the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Freedom of Information Office confirmed on three separate occasions in late 2009 and early 2010 that the internal source of their annual “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” discharge numbers is the Defense Manpower Data Center, and that Defense Manpower Data Center statistics do not include discharges from the Reserves or the National Guard.

So instead of repealing DADT The White House was caught red handed simply fudging the numbers being reported.

From David Mixner: White House: No Repeal Of DADT This Year; Increasing ‘Revolt’ In Congress For Passage This Year!

I have spent the day visiting on the phone with extremely reliable sources on Capitol Hill in both the Senate and House. With over twenty calls, I have been able to determine that the revolt is perhaps much larger than the media realizes. There is a sense of total frustration with the administration. They just don’t understand why the White House won’t move on this issue. Many of persons on the Hill that I spoke too are from states with large urban populations, including in the South. They feel the failure to vote this year on DADT will have a ‘chilling effect’ regarding voter turn out in the Fall elections. Those interviewed think that not only will many LGBT citizens stay home but also other progressives.

One high ranking staffer said, “We are going to get creamed in our district since we need the gay vote. It is just only a matter of time that what is happening to Pelosi in San Fran works it way down to our districts. We don’t fucking need it. For God sakes, lets get this out of the way.” An elected official in DC told me, “If the President digs in, he then guarantees that the debate will be ugly and divisive. I am really concerned about their intransigence.” Another Chief of Staff confided to me that this is a ‘huge mistake’ since it was the President himself that set the expectations.

Tags: That's Not eBooks