Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell–Don’t Bother!
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell–Don’t Bother!
There were 7,340 words in President Obama’s State of the Union address last Wednesday–but Congress is only fixating on 32 of them. In eight days, one simple sentence has hurled all of Congress’s legitimate business overboard and thrown a country desperate for jobs and tax relief into a fiery–and unnecessary–debate over homosexuality. Despite all of the hot issues on Capitol Hill, "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" somehow shoved its way to the front of the line, generating two hearings faster than most Democrats can say "judicial nominees."
The Senate’s Armed Services Committee kicked things off on Tuesday with the administration’s pro-repeal reps, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen. Yesterday, the duo gave an encore performance to a lukewarm audience for the House committee. On one side, the sponsor of the House bill to overturn "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" is complaining that the Pentagon isn’t moving faster. On the other, Representatives like Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) were adamant. "The military is not civilian life," he said. Its rules don’t exist to satisfy the Left’s notion of "equality" or "freedom of expression." In the heat of battle, political correctness isn’t a recipe for success–it’s an obstruction to it.
At the very least, Army Secretary John McHugh thinks the military deserves a say. "Before the President or special interests force a change in the policy or law, Congress deserves to see from the services concrete, in-depth evidence that readiness concerns require a change and that such a change would not degrade wartime military readiness in any measurable, significant way." The House’s ranking Republican, Buck McKeon (Calif.), echoed that concern. Of course, this isn’t a debate most members asked for. It’s yet another example of this President bringing division where there should be cohesion. It’s an indication that our leader is willing to sacrifice real lives for his political one. And it shows a dangerous tendency of this President to push payoffs above priorities. The military is no place to return campaign favors–regardless of your social views.
Former Marine commandant Gen. Carl E. Mundy and 1,160 of his retired flag and general officer colleagues have spoken forcibly against it, while plenty of conservatives sit in the shadows, afraid to take a position. Other groups may be skittish to take on this issue. FRC is not. Every day, American soldiers take fire for us. This is our turn to stand on the front lines for them. To learn more, don’t miss Peter Sprigg’s blog post, "Everything You’ve Heard about ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Is Wrong."
The Senate’s Wedding Crashers
Can one man make a difference on marriage? We certainly hope so. As the clock winds down on the 30-day review process for D.C.’s same-sex "marriage" law, Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) has taken the initiative to introduce a bill that would block the bill until the city can vote on it. "The definition of marriage affects every person, and should be debated openly, lawfully, and democratically," he said. "The Board’s decision to deny the people of Washington, D.C. a vote was… reminiscent of the judicial activism that has imposed gay marriage by fiat." At least eight senators have cosponsored the bill. They recognize that as D.C. goes, so goes the nation. The efforts of 31 states that have voted to preserve marriage will be undermined i f Congress does nothing.
We applaud Sen. Bennett for having the courage to demand a level playing field for people in the District, who are no less deserving of a voice than the other 50 states. But just as the people deserve a vote, so too does this bill. Contact your Senators and urge them to move forward with an up-or-down vote on D.C. marriage.
Fact ##45: It’s a Liberal White House, by George!
In 2003, billionaire George Soros came up with the idea to form a liberal alternative to the conservative Heritage Foundation. While the Leftist staffed the Center for American Progress (CAP) with former Clinton administration employees, they have heavy influence with the Obama administration, including a role in guiding the Obama transition team and loaning out staff to join President Obama’s administration. At least one of CAP’s employees was so controversial that he was compelled to step down: Van Jones, President Obama’s nominee for "green czar," had close ties to Marxist and other radical groups and theories.
After leaving the administration, Mr. Jones rejoined CAP. Former Sen. Tom Daschle, a lobbyist on the staff of CAP, was in line to become President Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services but withdrew his name after records showed he was negligent in his taxes. After returning to the lobbying world, Sen. Daschle continued to advise White House and congressional leaders on the issue of health care–despite the conflict of interest.
