If Dan Choi is being called up for active duty, it's because Obama indirectly ordered it

[ruggerson]

Which is great news, if the Choi reports are accurate.

I commend the President for doing what many of us have been asking him to do: use his Executive powers and his power as Commander In Chief to weaken the statute until it is formally repealed.

Lots of DU'ers and bloggers and political leaders have been asking him to do this for months.

It's fantastic that he's apparently implementing policies, through Gates and the DOD, whereby they will be able to slow and/or stop discharges, until the statute is formally repealed by Congress.

Kudos to the President for listening. Again.

Unfortunately there was a large group here at DU (and elsewhere) who kept angrily shouting at gay people and their allies that if Obama took matters into his own hands, he would be violating the law.

He can't "act like Bush", the mantra went. Congress has to do it all. His hands are tied. This is not the purview of the President.

Good thing the President, in his wisdom, has apparently ignored these voices and listened instead to the gay and lesbian soldiers, the Servicemember's Legal Defense Network, many in the media, bloggers and gay people nationwide, who long and loudly asked him to do what he is now apparently doing.

Thanks, Mr. President, for stepping up.

[Cha]

1. I was interested in how this came

about and had a thought that it may have come from President Obama.

Thank you for your post, ruggerson..and I thank him too.

[ChicagoSuz219]

2. I thought he said there was a moratorium on firings...

...while all this DADT stuff is being hammered out.

Of course, I could be making that up... ;-)

[vaberella]

11. Well that's on those who have pending cases.

Choi was officially discharged so his case went through the normal legal channels and he was let go. What we're seeing now is that he's being reinstated, which is making me think that other people will be reinstated like the young female officer who wrote to the President and was later discharged for being a lesbian.

[ChicagoSuz219]

14. Cool!

Hope they throw in back pay...

[IndianaGreen]

3. No shit, Jose!

This is significant!

[Prism]

4. The reports are confusing to me

I've been reading that he remains a part of the Army National Guard, which is a kind of reserve for people who have been removed from the active duty army, and that he's being allowed to engage in training exercises with the ANG, but it is a temporary allowance that is being given at the discretion of his commander (who has no taste for DADT).

I'm not entirely sure how to interpret it, or even what the basic facts are. Hopefully he'll release a statement personally to clear it up.

[vaberella]

10. Look out for Rachel's show.

He got political recognition on her show so I'm sure he'll talk about it there.

[tazkcmo]

5. Harry Truman

desegregated the military without Congress, I'm pretty sure. Hmmmm, why would it be criminal for Obama to do the same for gays? AND JUST LIKE BUSH? Wow. For a President to use a signing statement to right a wrong is probably the most UN-Bush thing I can think of.

[ruggerson]

7. the argument

was that military segregation was not a statute, just a policy. Therefore, Truman could do away with it unilaterally.

DADT is a statute, passed by Congress, and as such, must be eventually repealed.

[Uzybone]

6. However it happened, I hope it continues to happen

until the odious DADT is repealed, hopefully before the year is out.

[vaberella]

9. I have great hope that it will be repealed. I'm praying on it. n/t

[vaberella]

8. When I stated this..someone said I was using it as political armour. I have a ? for you, ruggerson.

I always like your posts---in criticism or support of the president. I agree congrats to Dan Choi and the President for making that change.

As a question to you ruggerson and I've asked this a few times. Do you think that once DADT is repealed all officers who were discharged during DADT will be reinstated?

[ruggerson]

12. I have no idea

I suspect a compromise would be to expunge their record and let them reenlist if they wish.

[vaberella]

13. I'm hoping for more. I'm hoping for reinstatement.

People were discharged on a law that was clearly unconstitutional---oy...but then that's the problem. At the time it ws consitutional. Okay if not for reinstatement at least reenlistment.

[David Zephyr]

15. K&R.

This is what drove so many of us crazy is that the President, without waiting for Congress to change the law, could stop the drumming out these decent men and women.

I applaud the President for this and I'm with you on this one, ruggerson. He did the right thing and he deserves credit and praise.