For months many of us have been saying that the time is now for repeal of DADT. We quickly reminded our allies and brothers and sisters in the movement that once we start heading to 2010, the Congressional Leadership would start talking about protecting Conservative Democrats in the mid-term elections. That Obama's approval rating would start to fall and that his more strident advisers would urge him to wait until the second term since he had 'real important issues' instead of 'special interest issues'.
Well, if any of you had any doubt, just read Manu Rajus story on Politico.com. It is enough to make your blood boil. The opening paragraphs of the story alone will upset your day:
"When gay rights advocates march on Washington in October, they’ll be confronting a bleak political landscape in their effort to allow gays to openly serve in the military. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says the Senate is swamped and has little time on the schedule for this fight. The Pentagon brass is reticent and wants a go-slow strategy, while a majority of the rank and f ile in the military opposes changing the “don’t ask, don’t tell” law. With no Republican co-sponsors for a repeal, key moderate Democrats such as Sens. Jim Webb of Virginia and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas remain uncommitted. And the Senate’s patron saint of this cause, Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.), died before being able to introduce long-promised bipartisan legislation to overturn "don’t ask, don’t tell."
And just as many of us predicted the wailing of the Democratic leadership to wait because of the re-election campaigns of the Conservative Blue Dog Dems has begun:
"And absent a big push from the Pentagon and Obama, key Senate Democrats are signaling that there is little appetite to anger some of their more socially conservative voters at a time when election forecasters are signaling a tough 2010 election cycle for the party."
The buck passing on this issue is just appalling. First our President says that it isn't up to him, it is up to Congress. Wonder if he has the same attitude on health care? That he will just stay out of that issue until Congress acts. Now Congress is passing the buck to the Pentagon and we all know where that will lead:
"That feeling is shared by several centrist Democrats, including Webb, a former Navy secretary and a member of the Armed Services Committee. Webb wouldn’t say what his views are on the policy, saying any changes need to be driven by the military — not Congress. “You need to have the uniform military speak about this issue to the political process — rather than the other way around.” Lincoln, who faces a potentially tough road to reelection next year in the red-state of Arkansas, also declined to give her views on "don’t ask, don’t tell". “I think it’s important, particularly, if the president is going to make any decisions on that — that it has to be in consultation with the Pentagon, and I think that’s what’s happening,” Lincoln said. Added Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), one of the most conservative Democrats in the Senate: “I’m interested in hearing what the Pentagon has to say."
So here we are closing in on the final months of Congress this year. Everyone says we can't talk about anything - including Afghanistan, education, LGBT issues, etc - until the health care debate is over. Not sure what the pecking order will be after that battle ends but it seems pretty clear given Obama's slipping approval ratings, the elections in 2010 and the troubles escalating in Afghanistan, our straight elected allies would rather we wait.
And wait and wait and wait....
The time is over for waiting, the time is over for us to take a back seat to Blue Dog Democrats and the time is over for empty promises. Fight back. March on October 11 and for God sakes don't defend and excuse their pitiful explanations. That time is long over and I hope our national LGBT leaders know that.
Enough is enough
Subscribe
Comments