Friday, November 21, 2008

Change gays can't count on

"President-elect Barack Obama will not move for months, and perhaps not until 2010, to ask Congress to end the military's decades-old ban on open homosexuals in the ranks, two people who have advised the Obama transition team on this issue say." says this article in the Washington Times. "Repealing the ban was an Obama campaign promise. However, Mr. Obama first wants to confer with the Joint Chiefs of Staff and his new political appointees at the Pentagon to reach a consensus and then present legislation to Congress, the advisers said.

"I think 2009 is about foundation building and reaching consensus," said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. ... "What's the reality for the new administration?" he said. "Financial crisis. Economic upheaval. Health care reform. Environmental challenges. Where does 'don't ask, don't tell' fall in all this? I would say it is not in the top five priorities of national issues.""

Will it happen in 2010? I doubt it. The reason? Prop 8. Even if it gets overturned in court, it still passed- which means that not even California is ready to vote for full rights for gays. President Obama is going to need every Congressional vote he can get for his other programs, and many of those Congressmen come from districts that are very conservative socially. Gay rights is a luxury Mr.Obama simply can't afford at this time; don't look for it before 2014, after the Congretional elections. If then.

1 comment:

ogre said...

"Some [unidentified] people say that other [unidentified] people say that..."

And we give a damn?

How can people start hyperventilating about what the new administration will and/or will not do on schedule (which appears to be within the first 72 hours or the world will end)?

If the Bush regime left the country in that bad a state then we're likely dead meat anyway.

Even if it's nominally accurate (for a very limited value of the term "accurate"), it's entirely consistent with Obama's style that he'll consult first. He'll let people know which way the wind blows AND ask them to explain the pros AND cons of the issue and to argue for their views whether the same, opposed or just different. Then, after all have gotten their chance to have input, a considered decision will be made.

And no, it's not likely that Christmas will come for all the world's children on Jan 23.


Yeeeeesh!