Tuesday, November 30, 2010

No Reason Not to Repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell

What should be a final blow to defenders of this abhorrent policy, Think Progress:

Moments ago, in a press conference announcing the results of the Pentagon’s 10-month review of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen, Working Group co-chairs Defense Department General Counsel Jeh C. Johnson and Army Gen. Carter F. Ham, concluded that the risk of repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell to overall military effectiveness is low and Gates even urged Congress to act on repeal before the Courts overturn the policy. “Now that we have completed this review, I strongly urge the Senate to pass this legislation and send it to the president for signature before the end of this year,” he said. “It is only a matter of time before the federal courts are drawn once more into the fray, with the very real possibility that this change would be imposed immediately by judicial fiat – by far the most disruptive and damaging scenario I can imagine, and the one most hazardous to military morale, readiness and battlefield performance.”

Johnson added that resistance to repeal “is driven by misperceptions and stereotypes,” and predicted that lifting the ban would not result in a mass coming out of gay troops. “We believe that most would continue to be private and discreet about their personal lives,” he said in a prepared statement.


As John Cole says in a rational world this would be enough.

It's not, TPM:

...moments after Sec Def Bob Gates called for Congress to repeal DADT this year, Reps. Joe Wilson (R) and Buck McKeon (R) sent out a statement calling for "comprehensive oversight" of the Pentagon's study showing that repealing DADT won't damage military readiness.

Wilson, you'll remember, was immortalized for his "You Lie!" outburst during President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress last year. McKeon and Wilson will hold key committee chairs on the Armed Services Committee and Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee next year.


Well the Slurpee Meeting obviously accomplished what many of us thought it would, nothing. I'm sure when people look back on these formative years the Republicans will be branded as ignorant bigots, but then again you can re-write textbooks these days...gonna be an awesome two years we've got to look forward to, I'm psyched!

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1 comment:

Steve said...

My prediction is that Republicans filibuster it claiming other justifications. Probably something about the process ramming it down their throats. The usual.