TPMDC Gays in the military
Gay Marriage
Obama Administration Wouldn't Defend Blocking Military Benefits From Same-Sex Couples
The Obama Justice Department has concluded that legislation banning same-sex couples from receiving military and veterans benefits violates the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment and will no longer defend the statute in court, Attorney General Eric Holder wrote in a letter to Congressional leaders on Friday.
"The legislative record of these provisions contains no rationale for providing veterans' benefits to opposite-sex couples of veterans but not to legally married same-sex spouses of veterans," Holder wrote. "Neither the Department of Defense nor the Department of Veterans Affairs identified any justifications for that distinction that would warrant treating these provisions differently from Section 3 of DOMA."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Eric Holder, Gay Marriage, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, Justice Department, Obama administration
Michael Bloomberg
Wedding Bells Will Ring on July 24 in New York City
New York City will open its clerk's offices on Sunday, July 24, to allow same-sex couples to wed on the first day the state's gay marriage bill goes into effect, officials said this week. Although clerk's offices in the five boroughs are normally closed on weekends, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that for this momentous occasion, they will open.
Topics: Andrew Cuomo, Gay Marriage, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, Michael Bloomberg
Barack Obama
Obama Signs DADT Repeal Into Law
President Obama this morning signed into law the bill repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell.
"I am just overwhelmed," Obama said as he took the stage among chants of "Yes we can!" and whoops from the audience. "This is a very good day."
"No longer will our country be denied the service of thousands of patriotic Americans who were forced to leave the military, regardless of their skills, no matter their bravery or their zeal, no matter their years of exemplary performance, because they happen to be gay," he said. "No longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie."
Obama was joined on stage by Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen, Sens. Joe Lieberman, Susan Collins and Harry Reid and Reps. Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer and Patrick Murphy, an Iraq War veteran who had pushed for DADT repeal.
"In the coming days, we will begin the process laid out by this law," Obama said, adding that repeal will not go into effect immediately. "It is very important that servicemembers remember that."
He spoke directly to gay soldiers, and said he hoped those discharged under DADT will re-enlist once it is fully repealed.
"There will never be a full accounting of the heroism demonstrated by gay Americans in service to this country," he said. "As the first generation to serve openly in our armed services, you will stand for all those who came before you, and you will serve as role models for all those who will come after you."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Mike Mullen, Robert Gates, Susan Collins
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
President Obama To Sign Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal This Morning
Marines aboard the USS Blue Ridge
President Obama is scheduled to sign a bill repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell, at 9:15 a.m. ET today.
The bill, which was passed by the House last Wednesday and the Senate on Saturday, was certified by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday in a ceremony that was attended by hundreds of supporters, including gay servicemembers.
The new law will, eventually, end the military's ban on openly gay and lesbian servicemembers. The policy will be repealed 60 days after Obama, Defense Secretary Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen all certify that the military is ready for repeal. That won't happen until the military completes its implementation plan, which includes extensive training and education for all branches of the armed forces.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, Joe Lieberman, John McCain, Mike Mullen, Robert Gates, Susan Collins
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Senate Repeals Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)
With just a signature from President Obama, a ban on openly gay servicemembers will no longer be the law of the land.
By a vote of 65 to 31 this afternoon, the Senate voted to repeal the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. Republican Senators Scott Brown, Richard Burr, Susan Collins, John Ensign, Mark Kirk, Lisa Murkowski, Olympia Snowe and George Voinovich joined Democrats in the final vote to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Burr and Ensign did not vote with the Democrats earlier in the day when the GOP filibuster was broken, but signed on for the final vote.
As with almost everything in the Senate these days, the vote for something is a lot less newsworthy than the vote to consider voting for something. Thus, the real fight was over whether repeal proponents could gather the required 60 votes to break a GOP filibuster, end debate and hold a final vote. They did that -- led by Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) -- and repeal moved ahead earlier today.
[TPM SLIDESHOW: It's Over: Senate Repeals Don't Ask, Don't Tell]
What followed was some inside baseball procedural stuff that meant the normal 30 hours of debate provided to a bill was cut off in favor of today's fast-moving action. It's all quite anticlimactic to the drama fans, but for the proponents of DADT repeal, this afternoon's vote is the one that really matters.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, Joe Lieberman, Senate
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Advances In Senate -- Final Vote Likely This Weekend
The Senate took a big step toward ending the military's ban on openly gay servicemembers today. By a vote of 63 to 33, the Senate voted to end debate on a bill repealing the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, opening the door for a final Senate vote on the standalone repeal bill passed by the House Tuesday. That means a simple majority of 51 Senators can now bring the legislative fight on repealing DADT to an end. That vote is expected to come -- and expected to succeed -- by the end of the weekend.
(UPDATE: The final vote is now scheduled for 3 p.m. today).
Voting with the majority of Democrats were Republicans Scott Brown (MA), Mark Kirk (IL) George Voinovich (OH), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Susan Collins (ME), and Olympia Snowe (ME). Jim Bunning (R-KY), Judd Gregg (R-NH), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and Joe Manchin (D-WV) were absent.
[TPM SLIDESHOW: It's Over: Senate Repeals Don't Ask, Don't Tell]
The vote will likely be seen as a major political victory for President Obama, who pushed repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell on the campaign trail and set a year-long timetable for a legislative repeal of the policy in his State Of The Union back in January. It appears he's about to get his wish.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Barack Obama, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, Joe Lieberman, Senate, Steny Hoyer
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Poll: 67% Of Americans Support Gays Serving Openly In The Military
While a growing number of Democrats are pushing to keep the Senate in session longer than planned in order to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," one thing appears clear -- the majority of Americans are fine with allowing gays to serve openly in the armed forces.
Following a number of November polls that all showed a majority of respondents supporting the repeal of DADT, a newly released Gallup poll finds 67% of respondents in support of "a law that would allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.S. military." Only 28% indicated they would oppose such a law.
When Gallup conducted a survey to determine what Americans deemed to be the top priority for Congress to address during its lame-duck session, 32% of respondents expressed that it is "very important" to resolve the issue of gays serving openly in the military before year's end.
On Monday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Navy sailors that despite the push from him and other Pentagon leaders, the ban on openly gay servicemembers is likely to continue into next year.
The margin of error for the latest survey is ±4.0 percentage points.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, Polls
Gays in the military
Poll: Majority Of Americans Support Gays Serving Openly In Military, Tea Party Largely Opposed
DADT protestors in Washington, DC
According to a newly released Pew Research Center survey, 58% of Americans are in favor of allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the armed forces. Among those "who agree with the Tea Party," however, only 38% share the sentiment.
Over the last few years, public opinion on the issue has changed very little-- considering Pew's surveys on the question since 2005, "roughly 60% have consistently favored permitting homosexuals to serve openly in the military." Only 27% of the latest survey's respondents oppose allowing gays and lesbians to openly serve.
While a majority of self-identified Democrats (70%) and independents (62%) are in support of allowing gays to serve openly in the military, Republicans are divided-- the survey finds 40% in favor, while 44% are in opposition. Republican respondents split once more when those who "agree with the Tea Party" are considered distinctly from those "who disagree with the Tea Party." Only 38% of Republicans and Republican leaners who agree with the movement support allowing gays to serve openly, while 48% are opposed. A majority (52%) of Republicans and Republican leaners who disagree with the Tea Party (or have no opinion of the movement) support allowing gays to openly serve in the armed forces.
Pew's findings echo a mid-November Quinnipiac poll that found 58% of respondents favoring a repeal of "Dont Ask, Don't Tell," a law prohibiting gay men and women from serving openly in the military. A more recent November 18 McClatchy-Marist survey suggested a narrower opinion gap: 47% of registered voters said DADT should be repealed, while 48% suggested the law should remain in place. In that survey, 30% of Tea Partiers favored repeal, while 66% opposed it.
Though the issue of gays in the military remains in the public eye, a recent Gallup survey suggests it is not a top priority for Americans-- only 32% of survey respondents indicated it was a "very important" issue to address during Congress's lame-duck session. The estate tax was found to be the issue of greatest concern to respondents, as 56% indicated it was a very important issue.
The margin of error for Pew's latest survey is ±3.5 percentage points.
Topics: Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, Pew, Polls
Lame duck sesion
Poll: Americans See Tax Issues As Top Priority For Lame-Duck Congress
Above all else, Americans are hoping for the lame-duck Congress to sort out some tax issues, according to a newly released USA Today/Gallup poll.
The latest survey asked respondents to rate the importance of six different issues that are being considered by Congress during its lame-duck session. The issues were:
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2010 elections, Bush Tax Cuts, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gallup, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, Immigration, Lame duck sesion, Polls, START treaty, estate tax
Gays in the military
Poll: 'Sea Change' In Support For Gays In The Military
A new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released Wednesday shows increasing support for gays and lesbians serving openly in the military.
The survey finds that 50% of Americans support allowing gays to serve openly in the military, up from 40% a decade ago. Thirty-eight percent of respondents favor gays serving under the current "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" guidelines, and only 10% don't want to allow gays in the military at all.
Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart and Republican Bill McInturff conducted the poll.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, Polls
Sean Bielat
Barney Frank's Opponent Compares Gay People To Short People
Barney Frank's Republican House challenger Sean Bielat argued this weekend that gay people should be as accepting of the fact that they can't serve in the military -- since people under 5'2" tall are also prohibited.
"There's no absolute right to serve. Men under the height of 5 feet, 2 inches can't serve -- I don't see anybody protesting," Bielat said, according to the Boston Herald. "Where are the people standing in front of the White House, the short guys standing in front of the White House? You don't see it."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2010 elections, Barney Frank, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, MA-04, Sean Bielat
Ann Coulter
Ann Coulter At Homocon: 'Marriage Is Not A Civil Right. You're Not Black.'
Ann Coulter at CPAC 2010
Ann Coulter doesn't mince words. And even when speaking to a gay conservative organization, GOProud, at their inaugural Homocon party on Saturday night, she apparently wasn't willing to start.
After a series of jokes about conservative that sounded -- and were received -- more like a stand-up act then a political speech, Coulter told the assembled (and predominantly wealthy) conservative gay crowd why they should oppose same sex marriage, adding, "I should warn you: I've never failed to talk gays out of gay marriage."
And then she did.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Ann Coulter, GOProud, Gay Marriage, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, Homocon, Iran, Islam, Israel, same sex marriage
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Levin: I Understand Why Gays Are Frustrated By DADT Survey (VIDEO)
Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI)
Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Carl Levin told reporters this morning at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor that he supports surveying troops about the repeal of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell ban on LGBT people in the military. Levin said it can't hurt to take the temperature of military rank-and-file, but cautioned that troops should not feel like they can influence the policy's outcome.
"The military is not a democracy," Levin said. He also said he "can understand the resentment in the gay community" about the phrasing of the survey.
Topics: Carl Levin, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gay Rights, Gays in the military
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
You've Got Mail: Pentagon Surveys Troops On Don't Ask, Don't Tell
A US Army solider
More than 400,000 members of the military this week received email surveys about Don't Ask, Don't Tell that contained 100 questions ranging from how troops would handle group showers to how knowing your fellow serviceman was gay would affect morale -- as though troops weren't already serving (and, yes, showering with) gay men and lesbian service members.
But like so many of the twists and turns in the Don't Ask, Don't Tell saga, the surveys have been met with frustration from the LGBT community and the Pentagon is trying to defend its system as critical to the review process for repealing the Clinton-era policy.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gay Marriage, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, Military, pentagon
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Mullen On DADT: Show Me The Data
Rep. Gene Taylor (D-MS) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen
Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said today that the Pentagon will continue to enforce the Don't Ask, Don't Tell ban on non-heterosexuals serving in the military, saying that, while he personally supports the policy's repeal, he still believes Congress should not pass any repeal legislation before a review is completed.
Mullen said the review must include all the "voices" of people affected by the potential repeal and that, once the review is done, he should be the one to "lead" the charge to implement the repeal. Mullen, who fielded questions from reporters and members of the defense community this morning at a breakfast sponsored by The Hill, said that he and other military brass still prefer "to wait until the review was through" before Congress passes the repeal because it's hard to know the impact because the "data that just doesn't exist."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2010 elections, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gays in the military, Gene Taylor, Mike Mullen, The Hill
Roundup
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
Browner Points Finger At BP
Appearing on Face The Nation, White House energy adviser Carol Browner placed the blame on BP for early inaccurate estimates of the size of the Gulf Coast oil spill. "It's important to understand that BP has a financial interest in what those flow rates are. They will ultimately pay a fine based on those rates," said Browner. When asked whether she thought the company lied about initial estimates, Browner replied: "The very, very first estimates came from BP. They had the footage of the plume. The government then did satellite imagery and we realized that those figures were not accurate."
BP's Dudley: Those Weren't Our Estimates
Also on Face The Nation, BP Managing Director Bob Dudley defended the company's performance. "The estimates from the well rates have never been BP estimates. They've been through the unified command center. The best way to estimate those early rates were from satellite picture," said Dudley. He later added: "The current estimates by the government are between 12 and 19,000 barrels a day. The precision on these estimates has always been low. We have designed the spill response for much, much higher rates."
Topics: Arizona, BP, Bobby Jindal, Carol Browner, Colin Powell, David Vitter, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gays in the military, Gulf Coast Oil Spill, Immigration, Luis Gutierrez, Roundup, Sunday Shows
Roundup
TPMDC Saturday Roundup
Weekend Address: Obama Honors Memorial Day
In this weekend's YouTube address, President Obama honored Memorial Day weekend by recognizing the sacrifices of fallen American soldiers.
"That commitment - that willingness to lay down their lives so we might inherit the blessings of this nation - is what we honor today. But on this Memorial Day, as on every day, we are called to honor their ultimate sacrifice with more than words. We are called to honor them with deeds," said Obama. "We are called to honor them by doing our part for the loved ones our fallen heroes have left behind and looking after our military families. By making sure the men and women serving this country around the world have the support they need to achieve their missions and come home safely. By making sure veterans have the care and assistance they need. In short, by serving all those who have ever worn the uniform of this country - and their families - as well as they have served us."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: America Speaking Out, Arizona, BP, Barack Obama, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gays in the military, Gulf Coast Oil Spill, Immigration, James Carville, Joe McGinniss, Kevin McCarthy, Oil Spill, Robert Gibbs, Roundup, Sarah Palin
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Obama To Extend Offshore Drilling Moratorium
President Obama is set to announce today that he will extend the moratorium on new deepwater oil drilling permits for six months, while a presidential commission investigates the issue. The Associated Press reports: "Controversial lease sales off the coast of Alaska will be delayed pending the results of the commission's investigation, and lease sales planned in the Western Gulf and off the coast of Virginia will be canceled, the [White House] aide said, speaking on condition of anonymity ahead of a midday Obama news conference."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama and Vice President Biden will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9 a.m. ET. At 10:35 a.m. ET, Obama will welcome the NCAA Men's Basketball Champion Duke Blue Devils to the White House. At 11 a.m. ET, Obama, Biden and former President Bill Clinton will take a photo with the U.S. World Cup Soccer Team. Obama will have lunch with Bill Clinton at 11:25 a.m. ET. At 12:45 p.m. ET, Obama will deliver remarks and take questions from the press. At 2:05 p.m. ET, Obama will receive a briefing on the 2010 hurricane season forecast and the federal government's preparedness. He will hold bilateral meeting at 3:10 p.m. ET with President Sirleaf of Liberia. At 4:10 p.m. ET, the President, Vice President and First Lady will host a reception in honor of Jewish American Heritage Month. The First Family will depart the White House at 6:15 p.m. ET, and depart from Andrews Air Force Base at 7 p.m. ET, arriving at 8:15 p.m. ET in Chicago.
Topics: BP, Barack Obama, Budget, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gays in the military, Iraq, Joe Biden, John McCain, Offshore Drilling, Oil Spill, Roundup, Steny Hoyer
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Poll: Nearly 8 In 10 Americans Favor Allowing Gays Into Military
Lt. Dan Choi at a protest against Don't Ask, Don't Tell
The new CNN poll finds that Americans overwhelmingly support allowing gays to openly serve in the military. Furthermore, this is not some new, suddenly progressive development -- it's been the status quo for quite a while.
The poll asked: "Do you think people who are openly gay or homosexual should or should not be allowed to serve in the U.S. military?" The result was 78% in favor to only 20% opposed. The poll of adult Americans has a ±3% margin of error. This is roughly unchanged from an 81%-17% margin in December 2008, and 79%-18% in May 2007.
"Support is widespread, even among Republicans. Nearly six in ten Republicans favor allowing openly gay individuals to serve in the military," writes CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "There is a gender gap, with 85 percent of women and 71 percent of men favoring the change, but support remains high among both groups."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gays in the military, Polls
Gays in the military
Dems Reach Deal To Repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
President Barack Obama with Defense Secretary Robert Gates (left), and Navy Admiral Michael Mullen (right)
In a major breakthrough just in time to energize the Democratic voter base for the fall, the White House has given its blessing to a compromise repealing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on gays serving openly in the military. The measure, which could face a vote this week, would allow the Pentagon to move forward with its review of the best way to end the Clinton-era policy.
The change would come in the form of an amendment to the defense spending measure, a process which the White House's Office of Management and Budget said late last night it will support. The Pentagon also backs using this method while it completes the review, OMB Director Peter Orszag said in a letter to Sen. Joe Lieberman, who is working on the issue on the Senate side. Orszag said the amendment would allow for "comprehensive review, enable the Department of Defense to assess the results of the review, and ensure that the implementation of the repeal is consistent with standards of military readiness, effectiveness, unit cohesion, recruiting and retention." Democrats on the Hill accepted the compromise last night.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (1)Topics: 2010 elections, Barack Obama, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, White House
Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Hoyer: Nondiscrimination Act And Don't Ask Don't Tell Will Be 'Resolved'
Thousands marched for equality at a 2009 rally in Washington, D.C.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters today that he sees a bright future for the passage of the Employment Nondiscrimination Act pending in Congress even though it's an election year. Hoyer (D-MD) said he see that measure and the ban on gays in the military being "resolved," though didn't give a specific time frame.
"We passed that through the House, so it is not like this is a new issue for the members. Already a significant majority of members of the House have already voted for this," Hoyer said after a reporter asked about the bill's chances.
Hoyer also weighed in on Don't Ask, Don't Tell, another major issue that gay rights activists want to see completed this year but which may be passed off until after the midterm election.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Congress, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Gay Rights, Gays in the military, Steny Hoyer
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