The Least He Can Do.
From our Tipwire:
According to the AP, President Barack Obama plans to extend health care and other benefits to the gay and lesbian partners of federal employees. White House officials say Obama plans to announce decision on Wednesday in the Oval Office. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the president had not yet made the announcement.
The move would give partners of federal employees access to health care and financial benefits such as relocation fees for moves. Officials say Obama would detail more details of the decision on Wednesday.
After his Administration disgustingly insulted gays and lesbians everywhere in their brief on DOMA, this is the absolute least he can do. This is one of my strongest areas of disagreement with the Obama Administration: their apparent homophobia (there is a long history during the campaign of Obama courting anti-gay supporters to asking anti-gay Rick Warren to speak at the Inauguration to refusing to repeal DADT to the DOMA brief) and/or their apparent cowardice in avoiding extending basic civil rights to homosexuals.
This a good step at repairing the relations between the Administration and the gay and lesbian community, but it is only a step. He will have to come through on repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell soon.
It’s a good first step, but it’s not enough.
If they really want to get people on their side they’ll repeal DADT. I wish Congressional Democrats and the administration would quit blaming each other. The administration could suspend DADT if it wanted to.
Both are afraid of the outrage of the bigots. Fuck the bigots.
This move is in no small part the work of the Director of OPM (my boss), John Berry. This is a day I’ve been waiting 25 years for.
I am glad he is doing this, but it is a small step. Apparently the DNCs fundraiser in honor of the LGBT community is falling apart so this looks like trying to save face.
I’m the first one to note that President Obama can’t do everything all at once. But the despicable DOMA defense and not even just suspending the DADT releases until the policy gets a legislative look just looks to me like these issues are pretty far off of the agenda. I hope I’m wrong, but some movement is better than none.
Gee, the administration defended a law duly passed by congress and signed by the president as being constitutional. What a shocking notion!
One can debate whether or not the law in question is a wise one, or whether a better policy ought to be adopted — but it is the job of the executive to defend the law until and unless it is repealed or overturned.
Similarly, the president really has no choice on DADT — a policy I find absurd even as i recognize it as constitutional. For Obama to fail to follow it would be a violation of his oath of office and his duties as president — unless you believe in a unitary executive who has the power to suspend/disregard laws that he disagrees with.
“unless you believe in a unitary executive who has the power to suspend/disregard laws that he disagrees with.”
We just had 8 years of that….
So what you are saying is that you want Obama to do things you believed Bush should be impeached for, right MarkH.
The President has to follow the policy right now, but he can send a bill to Congress to repeal DADT, and have Congress vote on it. That is not unconstitutional. And if it was, no laws repealing prior laws would ever get passed.
As for the DOMA brief, your argument re following the law has more weight, since the Administration is pledged to defend the law in its role as the Executive executing the laws. What we complain about is the content of the DOMA brief, not the fact that they defended DOMA.
Another massive theft. He just loves giving it away I’ll tell ya. And you gotta admit he is good at it. It doesn’t matter anyway we will all have benefits soon. I’m sure it’ll extend to health benefits for life for everyone who has ever dates, or cleaned the pool of a government employee, retroactive of course. nudge nudge wink wink give a check to the cabana boy.
love the thread title. That is all that man will ever do for anyone – The least he can.
Hahahaha! It burns doesn’t it?
Enjoy the wilderness Mr. 21%.
The only 21% is the population of liberals in America.
As for DADT, I oppose repealing it during a time of war. Now is not the time for social experimentation in the military.
DOMA is necessary and proper. Marriage-a-phobes need to get over it. It is the will of the people.
Wow, this thread really brought out the wingnuts. @5 – I don’t remember the Supreme Court ruling on the constitutionality of DADT or DOMA, so you might enlighten us with your knowledge (or did G-D tell you this?). @ 12 – Social experimentation? What, having dedicated soldiers thrown out of the armed forces for being gay when we need their skills? And DOMA is the will of the people? Wow! I usually save my asshole comments for Republican David, but you really earn the title with your comments. You’re an asshole!
Rhymes does not understand the Constitution, among a lot of other issues as well that he does not understand as his ideology carries away his brain in lock step!
However, DOMA is the law, and should be enforced, even as hideous a law as it is. The remedy of course is to carry the question of its Constitutionality up through the courts, as could be instigated by the Obama Justice Dept. What are they waiting for???
DADT was “crafted by Colin Powell and approved by President Clinton” in 1993. During his campaign Obama said he would overturn it. He has not, and shows no sign of doing so any time soon, a disgrace! Now we watch as qualified and needed military personnel who have violated the policy get literally kicked out.
My disappointments in Obama continue to increase!
Actually, Perry, I do understand the Constitution — which is why I state that it is the responsibility of the Obama regime to defend the DOMA in court.