'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' hearing Tues.

[sabra]

Source: MSNBC

From NBC's Courtney Kube
A senior defense official says to expect Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen provide more details about the end of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" during the Senate Budget hearings next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Another official said the current idea is to have the Senate Armed Services hearing on the budget for a few hours and then switch to Don't Ask Don't Tell for the last hour or so.

The Joint Chiefs still have not worked out details on how military policy or infrastructure may change if DADT is repealed. One senior defense official said they will examine the need for actual changes in infrastructure -- separate berthing, showers, etc. -- NOT because they believe there needs to be separate facilities, but only to be prepared for critics who have said this could be an issue for the military.

Last summer, Gates asked the Defense Department's general counsel to examine whether the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is implemented humanely -- for example, should a jilted lover be allowed to expose someone's sexuality.

Read more: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/01/28/2188039.aspx

[Parche]

1. i wont ask, if you dont tell

did you notice when the President announced that, the military row did not stand up....:grr: :hi:

[quiller4]

2. They are not supposed to show any display of support or opposition.

[Jamastiene]

12. Oh, but they did anyhow.

The scowls on their faces deepened when he mentioned it.

[FreeState]

20. BS -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kYW_fgaDDM&feature=player_embedded - start watching around 58 minutes... they all stand and cheer.

[berni_mccoy]

4. They aren't there to show reaction. In fact, they are not suppose to.

[FreeState]

19. Thats why they stood and clapped at other comments

Check out the standing ovation from the Joint Chiefs at 59:00 when the president mentions sticking it to Iran over their nuclear program

Youtube of the speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kYW_fgaDDM&feature=player_embedded

[riderinthestorm]

3. "Few hours - budget", "An hour or so - DADT"

Does that sound like they are actually going to do anything to begin addressing this?

Sounds like a crumb to me in a desperate attempt to try to hoodwink anyone out there whose not paying attention that the Obama Admin now cares about some of those under the bus.

[berni_mccoy]

5. It only takes 1 moment to say the Military won't enforce DADT and request Congress to pass a repeal

[riderinthestorm]

7. You really think that's what they are going to do? nt

[Posteritatis]

13. And a year for Congress to fight the idea tooth and nail. (nt)

[Mithreal]

15. +1

[No Elephants]

31. Or, to act under the Constitution and/or 10 U.S.C. 12305.

[gcomeau]

6. Don't be ridiculous.

The entire freaking defense budget is about a thousand times more complicated than discusing one single personnel policy. Devoting that percentage of the session to the issue most certainly does sound like they're taking it seriously.

[riderinthestorm]

9. So you don't think THIS personnel policy is troublesome or time consuming??!

Perhaps I'm misreading it but an hour "or so" sounds pretty small for THIS particular personnel policy.

[gcomeau]

10. AS troublesome and time consuming...

...as all the details contained in a multi hundred billion dollar defense budget?

NO. It isn't even in the same league.

So am I worried that it is "only" getting like a quarter of the entire session all to itself when it's roughly a thousandth as complex an issue? About as worried as I'd be if the entire nation devoted "only" 1% of their earnings to deposits into my personal bank account... that's about how worried that makes me.

[riderinthestorm]

11. FWIW, I'm not "worried"

I'm skeptical that anything real is going to come of it in that kind of time frame.

Maybe I'll be proven wrong. I'll happily eat crow if that's the case. I'd really love for something to begin happening.

[Jefferson23]

8. YES we can when we want to...come on guys, just do it already.

[Unvanguard]

14. Good. Let's finish this idiotic, bigoted law. The faster the better. n/t

[kpete]

16. Pentagon To Announce Some "Don't Ask" Details Next Week

Source: The Atlantic

Jan 28 2010, 2:16 pm by Marc Ambinder
Pentagon To Announce Some "Don't Ask" Details Next Week

Before President Obama announced last night that he would work with Congress and the Pentagon to end the military's ban on service by gays and lesbians, the White House consulted Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to sign off on the language he planned to use, administration officials said. They did. "The Pentagon is with us," the official said. And Geoff Morell, Gates's spokesman, e-mails me to say that "The Department leadership is actively working on an implementation plan and will have more to say about it next week." So -- Obama's pledge to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell was more than words -- he's instructed the military to get it done as soon as Congress repeals the law. A Senate hearing is set for February 9.

Read more: http://politics.theatlantic.com/2010/01/pentagon_to_announce_some_dont_ask_details_next_week.php

[Zenlitened]

17. Very encouraging.

I hope he will also intervene as necessary to make sure NO MORE service members are discharged under DADT between now and the day it is repealed.

[Posteritatis]

18. Not that Congress will repeal it, of course; the senate lacks the necessary 120 votes

Also, wow does Angst's comment on that post ever win the Stupid Award for the day.

[Pirate Smile]

21. Pentagon plan on 'don't ask, don't tell' ready for Congress

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates will unveil the Pentagon's plan to prepare for repealing the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" law regarding gay soldiers at a committee hearing Tuesday, a Pentagon spokesman said.

"The Defense Department leadership is actively working on an implementation plan and the secretary will have more to say about this next week," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said on Thursday.

President Obama said in his first State of the Union address Wednesday night that he would work with Congress and the Pentagon this year to repeal the law that prohibits military members from acknowledging openly that they are gay.

According to the Senate Web site, the Senate Armed Services Committee has scheduled an hour to discuss the issue at Tuesday's hearing on the fiscal year 2011 defense budget, which Gates will attend.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/01/28/gates.military.gay/index.html?eref=rss_politics&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_allpolitics+%28RSS%3A+Politics%29&utm_content=Twitter

[Captain Hilts]

22. There, now, that wasn't so difficult, was it? nt

[gateley]

23. +1

[Tansy_Gold]

24. So not difficult, in fact, one has to wonder why

it took a year to do it?

I guess better late than never, but. . . . okay, better late than never without the buts.




Tansy Gold

[FreeState]

25. Its already been a year actually

so its would be why does it take two years?

Equality California is pushing the issue too (and they should):

http://www.eqca.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=kuLRJ9MRKrH&b=5609563&content_id=%7B0A9F8576-3117-46DF-BF4F-4C819B5A83D1%7D¬oc=1

Equality California Urges President Obama to Repeal DADT Immediately

“We appreciate President Obama reiterating his commitment to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, but words do not end discrimination – actions do. We call on President Obama to immediately cease discharging openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender service members and to take a stand for equality in the military.” - Geoff Kors, Equality California

SAN FRANCISCO– Equality California called on President Obama to immediately end the discriminatory federal policy known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” after the President reiterated his commitment to repeal DADT in his State of the Union address.

“We appreciate President Obama reiterating his commitment to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, but words do not end discrimination – actions do,” said Equality California Executive Director Geoff Kors. “We call on President Obama to immediately cease discharging openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender service members and to take a stand for equality in the military. Thousands of LGBT service members have bravely served our nation, and they deserve the same protections as all Americans. We urge President Obama and Congress to act swiftly to overturn this discriminatory policy.”

Equality California sponsored a resolution introduced by Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) that calls on the United States Congress to pass and President Barack Obama to immediately sign the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would end the unfair policy and allow gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans to serve openly in the armed forces. The resolution recently passed the State Assembly Judiciary Committee and is now on the Assembly floor.

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was first authorized in 1994. Since that time, more than 13,500 service members have been discharged under the policy, including more than 800 specialists serving in 'critical operations,' such as counterintelligence, medicine, and translation. According to a General Accounting Office report, 323 language specialists have been discharged, resulting in a critical shortage of qualified translators in intelligence gathering posts. Currently, 186 members of the U.S. House have signed on as co-sponsors to the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, which would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and replace it with a policy of non-discrimination across the armed forces. Last year, 77 members of Congress sent a letter to President Obama requesting he immediately suspend discharges under the discriminatory policy.

More than 24 other nations currently allow gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals to serve openly in their militaries, including Canada and the United Kingdom, alongside whom American forces have served in combat. Recent public opinion polls show that a majority of both the American public and active service members believe the policy should be overturned and that gay and lesbian Americans should be allowed to serve openly in the military.

[Captain Hilts]

27. Somehow, we defeated Germany and Japan in WWII without such a ban. nt

[defendandprotect]

26. Is this actually ever going to really happen . . . 20 years after Clinton???

[Captain Hilts]

28. Public opinion on this issue - basically generational - has changed hugely in the past 20 yrs. nt

[salguine]

29. Whatever the plan is I'm sure there's a big transfer of money to rich people in it.

[davidpdx]

30. I'm not surprised, even when there is good news

people shit on it.

I mean why hasn't Obama fixed ALL the world's problems yet? :sarcasm:

[No Elephants]

32. This is a non-event. Before I cheer or boo, I'll wait to see what, if anything,

actually happens.

[riderinthestorm]

33. They decided to wait and "study the problem" another year

that's what happened, even though the top military brass all agrees DADT needs to go, now.

The Congressmembers couldn't even agree on issuing a moratorium on releasing GLBT troops while they "study the problem".