Pelosi, Thanks The People Of San Francisco

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Drive to Repeal ‘Don’t Ask’ Policy All but Lost for Now

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703856504575600851961320666.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5

The drive in Congress to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy appears all but lost for the foreseeable future, with action unlikely this year and even less likely once Republicans take charge of the House in January.

President Barack Obama has repeatedly said he wants to overturn the policy, which bans gays from serving openly in the armed forces. Advocates on both sides believed the issue had a chance of coming up in this month’s post-election session of Congress. Now that looks unlikely.

Sens. Carl Levin of Michigan and John McCain of Arizona, the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, are in talks on stripping the proposed repeal and other controversial provisions from a broader defense bill, leaving the repeal with no legislative vehicle to carry it. With a repeal attached, and amid Republican complaints over the terms of the debate, the defense bill had failed to win the 60 votes needed to overcome a procedural hurdle in the Senate in September.

A spokeswoman for Mr. McCain, who opposes the repeal, confirmed he is in talks with Mr. Levin on how to proceed on the defense bill but didn’t provide details.

Moving the defense bill is also complex, especially if it includes controversial measures, because it could take two weeks or longer on the Senate floor, and the coming session is expected to last only three or four weeks.

Tommy Sears, executive director of the Center for Military Readiness, which opposes a repeal, rated the chance of action “extremely low.” Richard Socarides, an activist and former adviser on gay rights to President Bill Clinton, said it was “extremely unrealistic” that Congress would take it up this year.

The Obama administration isn’t raising expectations that the issue will be considered this year. “I would like to see the repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ but I’m not sure what the prospects for that are,” Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters traveling with him in Australia over the weekend.

Asked what the White House priorities are for the coming congressional session, press secretary Robert Gibbs named four issues—tax cuts, a nuclear-arms treaty with Russia, a child nutrition bill and confirmation of Jack Lew as White House budget director. Asked why he wouldn’t put gays in the military on the list, Mr. Gibbs said it looked like Republicans would block action.

Supporters of the current policy gained high-profile backing over the weekend when the new commandant of the Marine Corps said he was concerned about unit cohesion and combat readiness if the policy was overturned. “There’s risk involved,” Gen. James Amos said. “This is not a social thing. This is combat effectiveness.”

Failure to act on the policy would heighten tensions between the White House and its supporters in the gay community, many of whom hoped Mr. Obama would have accomplished far more on their agenda by now.

“What has been particularly surprising to me is how broadly the disappointment is felt. It’s as if people feel more betrayed than just let down,” said Mr. Socarides.

Openly gay service members can be discharged under the policy, and gay recruits barred from serving. Mr. Obama said last week that if someone is willing to serve, he or she shouldn’t be barred because of sexual orientation. But he has said he cannot change the policy unilaterally, because it was put into law by Congress, in 1993.

The issue isn’t high on the to-do list of Rep. John Boehner (R., Ohio), the likely next House speaker. “In the midst of two wars, even with one winding down, I certainly don’t think this will be a priority,” said Michael Steel, spokesman for Mr. Boehner. When the House voted to repeal don’t ask earlier this year, five Republicans voted yes and 168 voted no.

The Pentagon is conducting a study of the matter that is due Dec. 1. Some Republicans have said it would be premature to act before the study is complete.

The courts could force a change. A federal judge has ruled the policy is unconstitutional, though that ruling has been put on hold.

In the meantime, the Pentagon has said that only a handful of senior officials may approve discharges under the policy, in what could become a de facto moratorium on enforcement. Even so, new recruits still can’t join the military if they are openly gay.

OK. No Pink Parachutes. GITMO is still open for business, no Military Tribunals convened, no Civil Courts trying the residents of Club GITMO, persecution of the State of Arizona for their State Statute to control their Borders, the 9th Circus Court ruling that Voter ID at the polls to assure that Legally Qualified Voters cast votes is not Constitutional, no restriction on Voter Intimidation by New Black Panther Party Thugs and Nancy Pelosi giving up her Military Aircraft Taxi Service on January 1, 2011. Campaign promises that were unrealistic hitting the curb…

Looks like a bad two years for the Socialists are on the Horizon. Smells like gridlock to me.

You lost some of my “Respect Points” if you spend your time watching stuff like this when you could have spent the 5 min. and 10 seconds doing something productive.

Have you gone over to the other side? Hope you make it back soon.

If you want to waste 5-6 minutes, at least waste it on something you might want to see again, such as this. I have watched it several times and still like it:

http://www.guzer.com/tube/comedy_magic_routine.php

I very seldom go to YouTube because they are owned by Google and Google hates the military and has donated millions to Obama.

A Good one S., those guys are wild, but lacking in political content and relevance.

@ Smorgasbord, Google also pays a pittance in taxes. Hmmm…
I wonder how Joe Biden views their apparent lack of “Patriotism” on taxes?

I view Google as enablers for the Obama disaster. You Tube can be a useful tool.

@Old Trooper 2: #5 Old Trooper 2
I read that a while back. If you want your taxes cut just donate millions to Obama.

This video reminded me of those Filipino inmates videos of a couple years ago.
While our prisoners play basketball and lift weights the Filipino inmates practice and perform group dancing.
Do the Hustle.
Thriller.
Soulja Boy.
Jump.
So fun to watch.
And it looks like it doesn’t prep them to be worse criminals on leaving prison one day.

Some of these are here:

As to ”gays in the military,” gays had always been in the military, just very quiet about it, obeying all of the codes of conduct and then some.
What they want now is to continue to obey the codes of conduct but to be ”out” with regard to wearing a ring or openly sharing news about a mate when others talk about their spouses.
Keeping a photo and reading a letter without having to hide them.
Will some feel threatened by their mere presence?
Some always have.
But the ganging up on them to force them out of the military will stop.
My dad served in 2 wars, WWII and Korea.
He said he knew very well that some around him were gay.
In other cases he found out years later when they met after their service.
Two of my brothers served in the Cold War and knew gays were in the service with them in Germany and near Cuba.

The Israeli military allows open gays to serve…..and has no issues with them.

Funny, it is the left who are dragging their feet on this.
They want to be in our living rooms and kitchens when it comes to funny light bulbs and appliances tied two ways to the ”smart grid” so they can turn them off when they think we’re not using them.
But if the military accepts open gay men and women it will probably go much smoother than people fear.

@ Nan G, lets wait until 01 December and look at the Survey that the Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen/Women and see what they prefer. Less than 3% of Americans Serve. It is Their Military and Culture that must be respected. Dump on Their Core Values and you will see disciplinary and readiness problems.

The US Military is NOT a Social Experiment or the proper venue for one. You cannot Legislate, Judiciate or Executive Order a change in Core Values in your Military. That type of arrogance creates disorder in the ranks. Not real smart during Wartime.

Why change the Rules for the desires of a Minority? The Military is designed to Defend the Nation and Win Wars, not a laboratory for social change unless you want a weaker Military.

Lets wait until the Survey is released and see what the Military finds to be acceptable. Fooling around with things that aren’t broken is a recipe for disaster. I call it Meddling.

@Old Trooper 2: #8 Old Trooper 2

For many years I have said that there are certain things that ONLY the Joint Chiefs of Staff should decide. As far as the gay issue goes, it would be possible to get a gay president who says that the military will be turned into a gay only military.

The anti-gay thing is a religious based idea. Only certain religions say it is wrong. This is one reason I don’t belong to any religion. I finally figured out (on my own) that we are born the way we are. We don’t have a choice. For the ones who say being gay is a choice, you have to admit that being straight is also a choice. You can’t have one a choice, and one not. If you are straight, at what age did you decide to be?

What about the thousands of babies who are born both male and female every year? They have all of the parts of a male and female. Did they choose to be born that way? The doctor asks the parents if they want a boy or girl and makes it so. That doesn’t change the male AND female feelings these people grow up with. I understand that these are the cross dressers. They have the feelings of a man and a woman at the same time. This should also be taught.

We are what we are at birth and I think it should be taught that way to kids. Some kids are going to be attracted to the same sex, some to the opposite sex. That reminds me of a male comedian that was talking about the opposite sexes and asked, “Am I the opposite sex, or are you?”

I don’t belong to any political party and wrote a letter to the RNC and asked them why they would want to tell the millions of gays to vote democrat? That is what they are doing when they condemn being gay.

Another reason I don’t mind men being gay is that I am a single male and the more gay guys there are the better chance I have of finding a woman.