Harry Reid won't do anything on DADT -- Says Obama has to do it

[nichomachus]

Jayzuz -- these guys are working overtime to piss us off. What is this shit.

Obama: The Congress is the only one who can do it

Reid: We can't do it. Obama can do it.

Folks -- we are being openly mocked by the party.
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid90581.asp

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid speaking at a press conference Monday said he has no plans to introduce a bill to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" in the Senate.

"I haven't identified any sponsors," he said. "My hope is that it can be done administratively."

A Democratic aide later clarified that Reid was speaking about the possibility of using an executive order to suspend discharges or perhaps halting enforcement of the policy by changing departmental regulations within the Department of Defense.

No sponsors for the bill in the Senate. What the fuck? No sponsors? Bunch of spineless, cowardly, backstabbing Democratic senators. I guess Harry gets his marching orders directly from The Brethren in Salt Lake City.

[Thrill]

1. Its passed law signed by a sitting President. It has to be repealed in Congress

He knows this. The real thing he's saying is there hasn't been any Senators who have introduced a bill to do it. He's not going to do it. Reid is too conservative to do it. You can't even count on him to vote for it. The question is where is Bernie or Boxer with a bill. They can easily get Hatch to co sponsor it.

[ThomCat]

3. No. He means what he said, which is what a bunch of us said,

that Obama could stop the execution of DADT with an executive order.

[Canuckistanian]

4. The least Obama could do is to stop enforcement of DADT

That's well within his power.

[David Zephyr]

53. Exactly. MFA (My Fierce Advocate) can stop "enforcing" it today if he was brave enough.

Your point is the one that the others refuse to see. Thank you for making it.

Obama, My Fierce Advocaate, can stop these soldiers and Marines from being driven out of their honorable service.

[Thrill]

6. I guess it depends on what you think is the right approach

The soldier that was on Rachel's show said Congress acting is a better solution than an executive order

[nichomachus]

8. The "right approach"

is getting rid of the fucking thing any way you can. Right now, we're locked in this Democratic circle jerk and nothing is happening.

[FreeState]

9. Agree. The wrong approach is to allow careers to be ruined every day in hopes congress will end it

Obama needs to stop the firings TODAY and then push Reid to push a bill through. He's a leader and as he has told us before he can do more than one thing at a time.

Peoples lives and careers are riding on this.

[QC]

12. But if he does that he might offend some right wing fundamentalist somewhere,

and that is, apparently, the thing that must never be done.

[donco6]

40. Especially when you can really piss off the people who actually supported you.

Who walked the neighborhoods - like I did.
Who made phone calls - like I did.
Who gave money and lots of it - like I did.

I mean, who would you rather have on your side? Me? Or a RW fundamentalist Christian asswipe who thinks your wife looks like a gorilla?

[QC]

42. I think the calculation is that gays, environmentalists, progressives, etc. have no other options,

so there's no need to toss them a bone now and then.

[donco6]

43. Hell hath no fury like a gay backed into a corner.

Especially if that corner has dust bunnies and is in sore need of better lighting.

[QC]

44. Track lighting.

All gay men are named Mark, Rick, or Steve, and all gay men have track lighting.

[donco6]

46. Maybe in the 70S!

Now we're all named Ty, Brandon and Mick and we only use rail lighting.

But we still hate dust bunnies and people who fucking RIP US OFF!

[QC]

47. Wonder how that fundraiser is going to go?

I'd love to be a fly on the wall.

[donco6]

49. It is going to suck so bad.

Imagine a room full of pasty white guys in Toschi loafers and Hickey Freeman suits, tapping their Rolexes and wondering why the cart-n-horse gays haven't started the festivities. "And where's my goddam Long Island Iced Tea? I paid $400 for this fucking seat."

And in the back room, the stage manager, event coordinator, caterer, florist and the entire wait staff are having a smoke and flipping off anyone who dares come near. "We've decided to follow the inspiration of our dear leader and sit on our asses while other people demand what's rightfully theirs."

[QC]

52. More angry queens than the pope's got beads! n/t

[nichomachus]

54. According to John Aravosis, it's already starting to unravel

http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/dnc-gay-fundraiser-starting-to-fall.html

Speaking of pain, top gay blogger Andy Towle contacted me today to let me know that this morning he contacted the DNC to let them know that he will no longer be attending their big gay fundraiser later this month with VP Joe Biden (yet another reason we like Andy and his blog). The DNC had planned to raise a lot of money from gay A-listers by coinciding this fundraiser with the 40th anniversary of Stonewall. Instead, the DNC may be about to witness Stonewall 2.0.

......


Andy's announcement comes on the heel of word that veteran gay advocate, and longtime friend of Bill Clinton, David Mixner is pulling out the fundraiser as well.

[QC]

57. I have to admit, Aravosis's rage over all this is giving me

a touch of schadenfreude.

Do you remember what an early and vociferous--even nasty--supporter of Obama he was during the primaries? He had it bad. Seriously, at least as bad as the most deranged cases here. He pretty much drove everyone off Americablog who did not share his enthusiasm and posted things about Clinton that were way over the top.

Now, of course, he's furious.

It tickles me a bit, even though I think he's right to be upset, and I guess it's the sense of betrayal that has him so angry.

[FreeState]

60. I removed him from my RSS Feed during the primaries and just recently added him back to my RSS feeds

He drove me nuts, and he also became a bit over bearing in his anti-LDS posts.

[QC]

65. He really went around the bend. n/t

[Toasterlad]

45. Yeah...That's Not Going to Work Anymore.

There ARE progressive candidates out there, and they will get my time, money and votes, no matter how "electable" I'm told they are. Want to tell me I'm throwing away my vote? Fine. I'd much rather throw it away on someone I believe in, rather than some phony snake oil salesman who gives me nothing but empty promises while he's running, then actively works against me when elected. And I will do everything in my power to convince as many gay people as I can to do the same.

Obama was absolutely right about one thing. Things won't change until we MAKE them change. No more time, money, or votes for DINOs. EVER.

[ThomCat]

13. The right approach

is for the President to immediately halt the loss of good people. And then for Congress to make it permanent.

Congress won't act quickly. They can't act quickly. But an executive order only lasts until the end of Obama's term. So both options are necessary.

[donco6]

41. Evidently Reid disagrees with you. n/t

[Lone_Star_Dem]

50. Edit. never mind

I found it.. http://www.palmcenter.org/files/active/0/Executive%20Order%20on%20Gay%20Troops%20-%20final.pdf

[nichomachus]

5. If he can suspend Habeus Corpus, he can stop DADT

[ThomCat]

16. Suspend Habeus Corpus has nothing to do with it.

:eyes:

All it takes is an executive order suspending the implementation of DADT for the duration of his administration.

[joeybee12]

22. I think he was just comparing to what Bush believed a president was capable of doing...n/t

[nichomachus]

23. I'm pretty sure Obama has suspended habeus corpus too

with his continuation of indefinite detention without charges or a trial.

[joeybee12]

26. Yeah but suspending habeus corpus gets the right wing all giggly...

...suspending DADT wouldn't...apparently that figures into Obama's decision-making.

[karynnj]

17. Has Hatch said he would vote for it?

[kenny blankenship]

2. It's like a daisy chain of lying, ball-less weasels

[FreeState]

7. Americablog: The Democratic party at its homophobic, spineless, cynical best.

http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/harry-reid-no-plans-to-do-squat-on-dadt.html

So there you have it. The Democratic party at its homophobic, spineless, cynical best. Obama won't do squat on Don't Ask Don't Tell, he says it's the Congress' job. Harry Reid won't do squat on Don't Ask Don't Tell, he says it's Obama's job. And neither Reid nor Obama plan on doing anything to make anything happen on this issue.

It's not a priority for either of them. They'd rather pass a health care reform bill that excludes gay families from benefits. Oh yeah, didn't you know that? Do you honestly think Obama/Congress' health care reform bill is going to include gay families in their definition of spouses and dependents? Please. And while I'm told by at least one gay legal expert that Congress "could" include language providing benefits for gay families and not run afoul of DOMA (simply don't provide benefits based on "marriage" or quasi-marriage (aka civil unions)) - and it's not at all clear to me that DOMA, that other pesky little promise that Obama has now backstabbed us on, won't negate us getting benefits even if the bill provides them - does anybody really believe that Obama and Reid are going to include language recognizing gay families as dependents? Remember, it might upset the Republicans and the religious conservatives if we get our civil rights, and the Democrats don't do things that make 20% of the population angry.

It's all one big vicious circle of homophobic apathy and cowardice.

So how's that upcoming $1,000 a head DNC gay fundraiser going? I understand several high-profile gays have already pulled out in protest over the DOMA brief. (More on that later.)

You tell them John. Its time we start demanding our party stand up for our brave Service Members and our rights as citizens. Im firing off several emails to my states Senators asking for them to call Reid and tell him they will sponsor it TODAY.

[Triana]

10. Harry Reid won't do anything on ANYTHING. I can't remember ONE ISSUE

where he's done a damn thing. He's useless.

[BuyingThyme]

34. You'll have to wait for immigration reform to come around again.

[nichomachus]

11. It's also quite possible

that they are all afraid of the evangelical cult that apparently is now running the Pentagon. Obama is probably commander in chief in name only. The evidence is mounting that he may not be in control of his own administration.

[konnichi wa]

It certainly does look as if the DOJ is operating autonomously

:shrug:

[Zodiak]

32. This is what I fear

An ongoing coup by the military, CIA, bankers, and corporations to run the show as Bushco put it together in spite of Obama....and he having to pretend like it is not happening/approves of it to avoid a loss of face and/or political chaos.

But something is just not right. Is the military brass threatening to mutiny as they did under Clinton? Are the spy agencies threatening to pull the veil down and let an attack happen on his watch? How about the bankers threatening to collapse the world economy (Obama did refer to them as having a bomb strapped to them and having to talk them out of blowing up the economy before his inauguration)?

These groups individually can do a lot of damage; together they can put chains around ANY President's hands.

[struggle4progress]

14. Corollary: If Obama does something, Congress will use that as an excuse for no further action

It's plain as day

[nichomachus]

20. And if Obama does nothing, then Congress will use that as an excuse to do nothing

As Reid is doing now.

[struggle4progress]

27. Somebody needs to introduce a bill into the Senate. There are 100 Senators, and any one of them

is free to grab the House bill and introduce it into the Senate. Reid's not their mommy

[donco6]

35. Can't be Obama, cuz he can't do it.

Can't be the House, cuz Reid won't do it.

Gotta be the Senate, cuz Reid's not their mommy.

I'm convinced they're all a bunch of worthless, good-for-nothing shits.

[struggle4progress]

59. Please explain to me why it can't be your Senator

[donco6]

61. Because the Senate as a whole has no intention of floating a bill.

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid speaking at a press conference Monday said he has no plans to introduce a bill to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" in the Senate.

"I haven't identified any sponsors," he said. "My hope is that it can be done administratively."

A Democratic aide later clarified that Reid was speaking about the possibility of using an executive order to suspend discharges or perhaps halting enforcement of the policy by changing departmental regulations within the Department of Defense.


It's not just Reid that won't introduce a bill - the entire Senate leadership is not interested in handling such a bill. They're sloughing the responsibility off to Obama again - just after he sloughed it off to the Senate. No one's going to touch this without backing from the leadership, and the leadership won't do it.

[struggle4progress]

64. That means you haven't asked your Senators for a bill either, right?

[depakid]

15. Expecting Reid to step up to the plate was a ridiculous notion from the outset

He's a major liability to a whole lot of progressive policies- and to the Democratic Party in general.

Personally, I have no problem with his being replaced- if that's what it takes, with a Republican- because, to borrow a sports metaphor, the man's a cancer in the locker room.

[Mr. Sparkle]

18. Shesh! a leader we can believe in .

Why do we pick such weenies as leaders . Tom Daschle, there's another one. With a 59 senate majority, he should be strutting around like he owns the place.

sometimes i really do despair.

[joeybee12]

19. But , but, but...Obama said it was up to Congress, and everyone said he had a plan,

so he MUST have been working with Congress to implement that plan...at least that's what the excuse, er, rationale is of the apologists here.

[nichomachus]

21. It's three-dimensional Vulcan chess with invisible pieces. n/t

[joeybee12]

25. Oh, NOW I get it. Thanks!

Why did I just see the obvious?

[ThomCat]

28. So many people here INSISTED that Obama is working with Congress

that it Must be true. Harry must have simply misplaced Obama's wonderfully crafted plan. :P

[joeybee12]

31. It's not just a plan...

It's a MASTER plan. :crazy:

[JVS]

24. Harry Reid seems not to understand that his branch of government legislates.

He's trying to shift the blame to Obama for his own unwillingness to act.

[Solly Mack]

29. If Congress does it then come re-election time

it can be said that "Congress did it. It's the law. The law must be followed" (Blame Congress being the subtext)

If Obama does it administratively then Congress members can tell their constituents that "The President did it" (Blame Obama being the subtext)

In the event not catering to bigotry proves to be unpopular to certain voters come time for re-election.

I'm one of those silly equal human rights people....not catering to bigotry strikes me as the duty of a government that actually believes in the values of liberty, justice and equality....key words being actually believes instead of just paying lip service to those values.

Of course I'll hear how pragmatic it is to cater to certain voters bigots in order to get elected so that once elected government can stop catering to bigtory certain voters and change the law...

[Egnever]

30. Reid has to go!

I dont know how we are going to get rid of him but he needs to be gone.

I find it dificult to believe no one would sponser a bill on this.

[Toasterlad]

33. I Wonder Where the Apologists Are?

Normally, I'd have expected two or three to have the hijacking of this thread well underway by now. They SURELY haven't run out of excuses for Obama and/or Congress. Perhaps they're still busy lecturing us about how we don't know shit about the DOMA brief.

[donco6]

36. Their pom-poms needed to be re-pommed.

And they can't decide on a color.

[nichomachus]

55. At this point

There are so many leaks in the dam that they have to be selective about where they post.

[donco6]

58. I think you're right.

They're sticking to what they feel are sure winners.

This isn't.

[KamaAina]

37. What about Pelosi? She's from San Francisco, fer chrissakes.

:eyes:

[donco6]

39. She's only slightly less useless than Reid.

A fine bunch we have in DC. A fine bunch.

[struggle4progress]

48. Pelosi is in the House, not the Senate, and there's already a bill on the House side

[Kitsune]

38. What a useless twit Harry Reid is.

Nevadans, please, primary this lump out next chance you get.

[western mass]

51. but then, we already knew that.

[Mari333]

56. passing the buck!!

they think if they ignore gay folks they will just go away..i dont think so!!!

[Orsino]

62. Where does he find the time to do nothing about DADT?

Isn't his day filled with doing nothing on every other issue?

[donco6]

67. LOL! You have to wonder -

Does he just hang out in the cafeteria?

[LostinVA]

63. What a total surprise

*cynical laugh*

They all make me sick.

[Freddie Stubbs]

66. Reid is the Leader of the Senate Democrats. Apperently the Senate Democrats don't want to touch this

You can hate on harry Reid all you want, but the bottom line is he represents a group of people (Senate Democrats) who do not want to deal with this issue at this time.