Reply #9: The commander in chief writing and executive order controling

[ThomCat]

policy in the military doesn't step on anyone's toes. He is in charge of the military, not congress.

Writing an executive order would not be preventing or interfering with the legislative process at all. That is congress's prerogative.

I'm sorry, this idea that Obama refused to use his own authority because it would offend congress is a very shallow and ridiculous excuse.

If anything, writing the executive order would have signaled to congress that the issue was important to him, and that he then wanted and needed them to use their authority to act and make the decision permanent. It would have been a way to unify the democratic party behind the head of the party, the President, behind one goal with everyone doing their part.

The healthcare situation is an entirely different situation because there isn't anything that can be done by executive order. Obama HAS to work with the blue dogs because the only step that can be taken is legislative.

I really don't know why certain people at DU keep insisting that they know so much more than the military law experts that published the report on exactly how and why Obama CAN do stop DADT with an executive order. Everything since then has been rationalizations to try to defend and protect Obama's decision, even though the decision was clearly wrong.

It would be really nice if occasionally we had unified support at DU for LGBT rights, but we keep finding that our rights get pushed aside for the shallowest of reasons. "We need to make up an excuse to justify why Obama isn't doing anything, so let's push LGBT rights aside and stonewall the issue so we can defend Obama!" Do people not realize how obvious and offensive this is?