Lindsey Graham: 'Don't Ask Don't Tell Is Not Going Anywhere' - HuffPo

[WillyT]

Lindsey Graham: 'Don't Ask Don't Tell Is Not Going Anywhere'
Sam Stein - HuffingtonPost
First Posted: 11-28-10 10:39 AM | Updated: 11-28-10 10:42 AM

<snip>

WASHINGTON -- Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) predicted on Sunday that the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy would not be repealed during the remaining weeks Congress is in session this calendar year.

The South Carolina Republican, a proponent of the law banning openly gay service in the armed forces, said definitively that there was no support for repeal on the Republican side of the aisle. He called for an additional study to determine whether the military itself favored overturning the 17-year-old legislation.

"This is a political promise made by Senator Obama when he was running for president," said Graham, during an appearance on Fox News Sunday. "There is no groundswell of opposition to Don't Ask, Don't Tell coming from our military. This is all politics. I don't believe there is anywhere near the votes to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. On the Republican side, I think we will be united in the lame duck and the study I would be looking for is asking military members: Should it be repealed, not how to implement it once you as a politician decide to repeal it. So I think in a lame duck setting Don't Ask, Don't Tell is not going anywhere."

<snip>

Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/28/lindsey-graham-dont-ask-dont-tell_n_788858.html

:kick:

[Oceansaway]

1. he needs slapped hard...nt....asshole!

[polichick]

2. Maybe the Commander in Chief could just command that it be done...

Many months ago, my vet father asked in regard to DADT, "Is he Commander in Chief or not?"

[WillyT]

4. Yeah... I'm Pretty Sure Truman Didn't Poll The Troops Before Integrating The Military

:shrug:

[polichick]

5. Exactly! If this prez would just LEAD instead of worry about political consequences...

...he wouldn't have to worry about political consequences.

[4lbs]

9. Was there a law in place that segregated the troops? No.

[WillyT]

13. Yeah Well... Clinton Screwed THAT Pooch...

:shrug:

And BTW:

In 1948, President Harry S Truman's Executive Order 9981 ordered the integration of the armed forces shortly after World War II, a major advance in civil rights. Using the Executive Order (E.O.) meant that Truman could bypass Congress. Representatives of the Solid South, all white Democrats, would likely have stonewalled related legislation.

Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desegregation#Desegregation_in_the_military

[4lbs]

20. He was able to "bypass" Congress in this case back then because there was no law that needed to be

overturned.

If Congress had passed a law in the 1930s segregating the troops, Truman couldn't have issued an E.O. He would have definitely needed Congress to permanently repeal.

[MannyGoldstein]

14. The law's been ruled unconstitutional

Obama has chosen to fight that ruling. He believes that it is constitutional.

[4lbs]

19. Wait, what? You think Obama tells Holder what to do?

Janet Reno didn't let Bill Clinton tell her what to do.

In fact, remember, Bill Clinton didn't want Reno to grab Elian Gonzalez and send him back to Cuba, but she ignored him and did it anyway.

See that? The Justice Department is AUTONOMOUS from the White House, when under a Democratic POTUS.

Just because the Bushie White House did it differently (and quite illegally) doesn't mean that the Obama White House does it.

[ck4829]

3. Yep, moving the goalposts. Who didn't see this coming?

By and large, the armed forces won't raise up in arms, they won't revolt or launch mutinies, if DADT is repealed. The right wing was soundly debunked on this subject. But, does it matter? Of course not, they will fight to keep this policy, that has no scientific backing, to remain in place.

[FrancisTreptoe]

6. Wow

Why would we look toward our Military for the answer? This is a constitutional issue that should be decided in a court of law, not by a group of homophobic 5 star generals. Lindsey Graham you are a douchebag.

[WillyT]

7. Welcome To DU, FrancisTreptoe !!!

:toast::bounce::toast:

Glad ta have ya aboard!!!

:hi:

[the redcoat]

8. How WHAT would be implemented?!?

"the study I would be looking for is asking military members: Should it be repealed, not how to implement it once you as a politician decide to repeal it."

What is there to implement? What changes would there be besides not discharging someone for being homosexual? I don't understand how people are fooled by this whole "But it's so hard to do!" bullshit excuse.

[NorthCarolina]

10. Lindsey is simply reinforcing his personal closet door.

'Look at what I'm doing here, I can't possibly be gay....right?'

[donco6]

11. No way! Really?

Who'd a thunk it?

[Lint Head]

12. So Lindsey Graham is openly admitting the Re Pubic party is bigoted.

[TwentyFive]

15. GRAHAM: A self-hating, craven, gay republican telling Gay War Heros they can't be trusted.

Screw him. May he get outed and experience a quick, unceremonious and permanent fall from right wing grace.

[GodlessBiker]

16. If he's right, Obama should withdraw the Notice of Appeal in the court case.

[old mark]

17. He is probably right...the leader of the committee dealing with this

after January will be John McCain, so don't look for any change in DADT any time in the next few years...Obama promised it, so the GOP won't do it, and they wouldn't do it anyway.

mark

[tpsbmam]

18. ANOTHER study? What, didn't like the results of the first one so you want to use

your delaying tactic to skew some study of Republican design. Don't like the results of the study? Go whine to the actual GI's you've sent into harms way who, it appears, think your DADT law is a bunch of BS.

What a class A asshole.