Gays In the Military

The Strange Relationship Of Joe Lieberman And John McCain

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The story of the strange, odd relationship between Independent Democratic Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona continues to amaze.

Lieberman was the Vice Presidential running mate of Al Gore in the 2000 Presidential election.

After September 11, Lieberman became very fixated on national security, including giving full support to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, joining McCain and many Republicans in that view, including Vice President Dick Cheney.

By 2006, Lieberman had alienated many Democrats, lost the Democratic Senatorial primary for another term, and ran as an independent Democrat, winning back his seat.

By 2008, he had antagonized the Democratic Party further by refusing to support Barack Obama, and endorsing John McCain for President.

He was on the short list of McCain to run for Vice President, which would have been a path breaking bi-partisan ticket.

There was some consideration by the Democratic Party to deny him a chairmanship because of his disloyalty, but Obama made clear that he did not support such an action.

Lieberman and McCain have continued to be the best of friends, and on national security and defense, they are united.

But as McCain turned further right in order to win back his Senate seat, Lieberman continued to be a liberal on domestic issues, other than homeland security.

So Lieberman is working very hard to end “don’t ask, don’t tell” in the military, while McCain is leading the charge to keep it the policy of the defense establishment. Lieberman has even said that he is working on McCain but is having no success in changing his mind.

The two men are on opposite ends of the abortion issue as well, along with all other domestic issues, and yet they remain good friends and socialize a great deal with each other.

A book will be written someday analyzing the strange, odd friendship and alliance of Lieberman and McCain–of how a basically liberal Democrat and conservative Republican could become such strong allies on things they believe in common, and strong opponents of each other, in a very civil way, on issues that they totally disagree on.

This may be the greatest, but oddest relationship of two opposing Senators since the famous one of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy and Utah Senator Orrin Hatch!

Republican “Blackmailing” Of Congressional Agenda: Hostage To Tax Cuts For The Wealthy! :(

Ronald 1 Comment

Immediately after the White House conference this week of Democratic and Republican leaders to promote cooperation over the next two years with a split Congress, Republican leaders made clear that they would NOT cooperate during the Lame Duck session on ANYTHING, unless the Democrats and President Obama agreed to extend the so called Bush tax cuts to all taxpayers, rather than the Democratic plan to only give tax cuts to all but the top two percent of taxpayers!

So the GOP is holding “hostage” the following: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the military; the START Treaty; the DREAM Act for undocumented children of illegal immigrants; unemployment compensation extension for those who have run out of benefits completely; and even a child nutrition bill for the poor and needy school children! 🙁

The Republican leadership in the Senate has no limits to its arrogance and willingness to hold up action until they get what they want! Barack Obama apologizes to them, and they respond by making his life a total nightmare! 🙁

It is one thing to be the “loyal opposition”! It is another thing to promote a total blockade, a total refusal to cooperate on the emergency conditions that exist in this country, and only be concerned that super wealthy people continue to gain a greater concentration of wealth unseen in the entire history of this nation! 🙁

Is this a country for only the top two percent, the millionaires and the billionaires, or is this a government “of, by and for the people”, including the middle class and the poor, the sick, the elderly, the young, the disabled, what was called in the past the “common man” during the time of Andrew Jackson, and the “forgotten man” during the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt?

This is a bad omen for the 112th Congress, when it now looks more likely than ever that NOTHING will be accomplished, and the nation will suffer for it as the bad economic conditions continue to plague the future of America! 🙁

John McCain, Robert Gates, And Gays In The Military!

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Senator John McCain of Arizona, already criticized by his own wife and daughter, and coming across as an angry “old man” since his loss of the Presidency to Barack Obama, has lashed out at Secretary of Defense Robert Gates at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on the report commissioned by the Defense Department on the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in the military! 🙁

Showing disdain for Gates, an appointee as Defense Secretary by both Presidents Bush and Obama, McCain was rude and arrogant in his criticism of the survey of the military, although Gates gave back as good as he got! 🙁

Not only that, but three members of the committee, who had not indicated their view on the repeal of the policy–Democrat Jim Webb of Virginia, and Republicans Scott Brown of Massachusetts and Susan Collins of Maine–gave hints that they disagreed with McCain’s bitter attacks and criticism of Gates, and might support repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, which would be crucial to possible action this month to end the policy!

At least two Republicans will be needed to overcome a filibuster and get the repeal accomplished, and finally end discrimination in the military and allow talented people, who have important skills, to contribute to the military defense of the United States!

Senator McCain is creating a record for himself in his later years in the Senate that will serve as an embarrassment for his historical reputation! 🙁

A Tragic Betrayal By The Republican Party On Crucial Issues In Lameduck Session! :(

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The nation is seeing how hard hearted, lacking in compassion, mean spirited, and narrow minded that the Republican Party of 2010 really is on so many issues in the lame duck session of Congress! 🙁

It seems unlikely that there will be an extension of unemployment compensation to desperate people who have no source of income, in a time of the worst economic conditions since the 1930s! But meanwhile, the GOP is standing firm to continue tax cuts to the wealthy, adding to the national debt over the next ten years! 🙁

The possibility of giving children of illegal immigrants an opportunity to have a decent future in America and move toward citizenship via the DREAM Act proposal sadly seems to be failing also to gain adequate GOP support! 🙁

The movement toward the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the military also seems about to fail, despite Pentagon backing! Sadly, Senator John McCain is leading the fight against change, although in the past, he was supportive of the possibility of ending discrimination against gays in the military! 🙁

And despite the appeal of Republican Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana that his party back the START Treaty with the Russian government, as a way to promote the cutting back of nuclear stockpiles and make a safer world, it also seems unlikely to gain enough Republican votes to make it through the Senate by the two thirds majority needed for a treaty! 🙁

The Republican Party of 2010 seems ready, now with a majority in the House of Representatives next year, to continue the total obstructionism that marked their performance in 2009-2010! 🙁

This is a gloomy foreboding of the next two years–that nothing will be accomplished, with the only question being who will be blamed in 2012 for this sad state of affairs–the GOP, the Democrats, or Barack Obama!

Pentagon Survey Shows No Strong Feeling Against Gays Serving: Time To End “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”!

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A Pentagon report on the issue of gays serving openly in the military is due out this week, and it is clear that 70 percent have no problem with the concept, much greater than earlier feelings toward Jews and African Americans in the 1940s and women in the 1970s and 1980s!

It is time for the Senate to follow the House of Representatives and end this discriminatory practice which is hurting our ability to fight terrorism and to recruit talented soldiers with specific skills needed in the military!

With Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen supportive of the change, and many others who were against the change in the past coming out for it, it is time for the Republicans to stop their resistance and support the change!

Since the military, by nature, is not a democracy in any case, it should not have been necessary to survey troops, as in the end, military forces follow orders and have to cope with whatever their commanders demand of them!

But now that the survey shows widespread support and tolerance, it is time for immediate action on this matter!

Barry Goldwater, John McCain, And Gays In The Military: Vast Difference In Views!

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Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, the 1964 GOP nominee for President, was the epitome of conservative Republicanism in the mid to late 20th century. No one would say he was soft on the military in any form!

Goldwater was succeeded by Senator John McCain, who was later the 2008 GOP nominee for President. Seen historically as a moderate, he has recently become much more conservative, due to his 2010 Senate race.

But McCain’s Republican roots and conservatism are clearly quite different than Barry Goldwater, who certainly believed in smaller government, but also believed in personal freedom from government in social ways, as well as economic!

So therefore, in his later years, when abortion became a hot issue, and then even later, when gay rights became a controversy, Goldwater spoke up in favor of abortion rights and gays in the military. As he said about gays in the armed services, what really mattered was whether a soldier could shoot straight, not IF he was straight!

Unfortunately, John McCain is now becoming one of the leading opponents of ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the military, despite studies and surveys that show a vast majority of military personnel have no problem with the issue, and with the knowledge that most European countries, Canada, and Israel have gays in the military without any complication!

McCain’s opposition to abortion also separates him from his predecessor, the MR. CONSERVATIVE of the Republican party after the death of Senator Robert Taft of Ohio in the early 1950s!

So in retrospect, Barry Goldwater comes across as a more tolerant man on major social issues than John McCain, and that shows how far McCain has moved away from his former “maverick” status!

This is a sad commentary on John McCain, and will affect his reputation in the history of the United States Senate! 🙁

The Lame Duck Session Of Congress: Crucial Issues That Need To Be Addressed!

Ronald 1 Comment

The lame duck session of Congress began yesterday, with the Democrats having their last opportunity to control both houses of Congress and get something done, before the Republicans take over the House of Representatives in January!

There is much that needs to be addressed, including:

1. The question of the Bush tax cuts, which if extended to the top two percent of the country, will put America in the hole for $700 billion over the next ten years, worsening the national debt tremendously!
2. Funding of the national government for the present budget year which began in October.
3. Restoration of Medicare payments to doctors at a rate that will keep them willing to accept Medicare patients.
4. Dealing with the issue of unemployment compensation extension to long term unemployed people who will have no income if it is not extended.
5. Passage of the DREAM Act, which would allow children of illegal immigrants who have grown up in this country to have the possibility of attending college or entering the military and avoid deportation to countries they have no memory of, since they left those nations when infants.
6. Abolition of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the military, an issue which has been dragged around for two years now, but must be repealed by Congress if discrimination is to end for gays.

The problem is that much of this agenda is unlikely to pass other than the first two items, as the GOP has the ability to stall and filibuster everything else, a very frustrating potential scenario! 🙁

Hopefully, there will be progress on the last four topics, but with a turnover to the GOP in the House in January, it is clear that if these issues listed above are not resolved now, they may never be in the next two years! 🙁

This Is NOT The Time For Gay Voters To Stay Home Because Of Anger At Obama!

Ronald 1 Comment

Apparently, many gay voters are considering staying home and not casting a ballot in the Midterm Elections of 2010.

This is a big mistake, as despite disappointment at Obama for the slow pace of change on the issue of gay rights, staying home will only help the Republican party to gain more power, and they are not the party that is interested in promoting change on the issue of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the military or gay marriage and other issues of importance to the gay community.

The fact that Obama’s Justice Department has challenged the district court decision on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is simply a strategic issue, as Obama has made it clear he wants that policy changed.

The problem is that Congress passed that law during the Clinton Administration, and it must be repealed by Congress to accomplish the goal of no more discrimination in the military.

If the GOP gains control in either house, the whole issue could be dropped, while Obama hopes to solve the issue during the lame duck session of Congress in November and December.

The pace of change is slow, but voting Democratic is the best way to bring about change. Failure to vote could doom the whole issue for a long time!

Using The Power Of The Majority: Finally, The Democrats Are Taking Action On Important Legislation!

Ronald 1 Comment

With less than seven weeks to the midterm elections, the Obama Administration is coming out swinging, ready to assert the power of the majority, something the Republicans know how to do when they are the majority!

With the threat that the Republicans might regain the majority, the Democrats are finally moving to take action that may not succeed, but will at least show their intentions!

A small business bill has made it through the Senate, with the help of two “Georges” who are not seeking reelection, and have broken with the Republican filibuster. Senator George Voinovich of Ohio and Senator George LeMieux of Florida broke the filibuster on the legislation, making it a 61-38 vote to pass the bill.

Meanwhile, a Pentagon appropriations bill next week will be the moment where the Democrats in the Senate try to push through the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in the military, and also push through the DREAM Act, which would allow children of illegal immigrants who are in the US through no action of their own, but arrived before age 16, have lived here for at least five years, have graduated high school, and have been in college for two years or served two years in the military, to become American citizens!

It is possible that the GOP will block passasge, but if so, it can be used as a campaign issue against them! It is long overdue for the Democrats to play hardball, and not worry about bipartisanship and cooperation since the Republican Party clearly declared war on the Obama Administration on Day One!

It is time for action on gay rights and immigration, and even though the Democrats have a low rating on their Congressional performance in Gallup polls, the GOP has an even lower score, so let them continue to bottleneck and blockade, and they will, hopefully, suffer at the polls on November 2!

Gays In The Military: Why Is Pentagon Asking Opinions On Subject? :(

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When President Harry Truman decided on integration of the military in 1948, troops were not asked for their views on the subject! It is certain that many would have been opposed to blacks and whites working and living together, but it was done!

When women were integrated into the military academies in 1976, those at West Point, Annapolis, Colorado Springs, New London, and Kings Point were not asked to fill out a survey! Again, many might have been opposed, but who cared?

So why now does the Pentagon feel the need to ask people in the military how they feel about showering with gays and lesbians, or sharing living quarters and a commissary with them on the bases?

And also asked is the effect that having gays and lesbians serving openly would have on retention, unit cohesion, military family life, and privacy!

Why is this such a big issue when so many European countries and Israel have long had openly gay service members, and have found no complications that developed?

Are we to let some people’s prejudices and biases to determine who can serve, when we are already having trouble with recruitment and retention?

The Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, usually right on most issues, is absolutely wrong on this issue, and it is time that progress be made on the final end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”, and that human dignity become part of military culture!

And if there are people in the military who cannot accept the changes that are coming, the answer is to say: “Goodbye, and good riddance!” 🙁