Obama renigs on DA/DT

Presidential candidate Barak Obama made a commitment to end Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

President Barak Obama still says he will end it, but not just yet. He says he wants to do it right, meaning prepare the troops for it, I suppose.

Well, guess what? The military is way ahead and already has a plan for implementing it. Polls among the young troops (supposedly the ones whose morale and cohesiveness would be affected) say it's not a big deal. Several top generals are in favor of it. Even Sam Nunn, who was a big force in the original DA/DT plan, says its time to reconsider it.

And there's a simple measure Obama could use while it all gets worked out: simply give a directive not to discharge any more of our service men and women under DA/DT while the details are worked out. That shouldn't involve a lot of time or angst on anyone's part: just don't kick out those already serving honorably and without any problems. We need them; many who have been discharged were serving a vital function, like Arab linguistic specialists.

So why, please, did Obama have a DoJ lawyer arguing in a court challenge that the policy is "rationally related to the government's legitimate interest in military discipline and cohesion."

Fresh, spunky, lesbian TV newsperson Rachel Madow took Obama to task:

Which is, of course, ridiculous. All "don't ask don't tell" is, is a policy by which everyone pretends that the gay and lesbian soldiers that are already serving in the military aren't really there, and that everything is okay provided that those gay and lesbian soldiers agree to participate in the Grand Shenanigan of Pollyanna Pretense. So, no, Mr, President. No, Mr. President's lawyer. No. No. And, no. It simply cannot be said that "don't ask don't tell" is rationally related to a single blessed thing.

With the non-support from the Obama administration, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case. I take that to mean that they are not willing to consider the constitutionality of the law, which is in keeping with other decisions not to over-rule military judgment. No better case is going to along, than many that have already failed, so it's not a matter of waiting for the right court case. It's going to be up to Congress to rescind the law -- which is probably as it should be.

But, while we wait for that, why not simply stop kicking them out, Sir? Or at least give us a better reason why not.

Ralph