Rep. Ellen Tauscher introduces legislation to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

[t0dd]

WASHINGTON — The debate over whether gays should serve openly in the military is heating up again, as a Bay Area congresswoman pushes a new plan to end the "don't ask, don't tell" policy — a goal President Barack Obama promised to pursue during his campaign.

Rep. Ellen Tauscher, a Walnut Creek Democrat with close ties to the military, is introducing a bill this week to end the restriction on gays in the armed services. Under current policy, gays may serve only if they keep their sexual orientation private, and commanders and recruiters are barred from asking questions about their sexuality.

"This is an important civil rights issue. We also need the strongest military possible, and we need to recruit the best and brightest Americans. Some happen to be gay," Tauscher said Monday during a forum at the Center for American Progress, a Democratic think tank.

...

Tauscher acknowledged that she and others who want to end the ban need to work to build support in Congress, and that may include a commission to study the issue "headed by someone like Colin Powell."

"The military helped break down barriers through desegregation and expanding the role of women," Tauscher said. "We must tear down this final barrier."

In seeking cosponsors for the bill, Tauscher had this to say..

"With fifteen years of social progress and the recent sea of change we have witnessed in the national political landscape, I am further encouraged that now is definitely the time to act"

More here: http://www.mercurynews.com/topstories/ci_11821225

There needs to be no commission to study this issue. Are they blind? It is plain as day what needs to be done. Repeal this discriminatory policy!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. i think powell is homophobic. i could be wrong, but years ago i did a paper

for DADT, and i think powell said some vile things about gays

[Captain Hilts]

2. Yes. He and Sam Nunn put a halt to Clinton's effort. Powell has since changed his mind...

supposedly. He said we have to re-look at the issue.

It would work better if a male vet introduced this legislation. A woman who has not served doesn't have any clout with veterans' organizations.

I agree, this should be a no-shitter, but it isn't.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

3. i guess powell has seen the error of his ways

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/emma-rubysachs/colin-powell-a-reformed-s_b_150965.html

[Shakespeare]

4. I am both surprised and delighted that this is coming from Tauscher.

She's a very hawkish dem, and has serious cred with the military.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

5. The commission is dotting the I's and crossing the T's.

Plain as day to you is not plain as day to millions of people, or did Prop 8 not prove that to you?

This needs to be done in a manner that is exhaustive, so as to give opponents as little to hang onto as possible (aside, of course, from their bigotry) and the commission is part of the process.

[t0dd]

6. There are far more opponents of same-sex marriage

than there are of DADT. While I appreciate the procedures and formalities involved, this is an issue that can and should be resolved promptly.

[Metta]

7. She's the one who's squashing bankruptcy revisions in Congress.

She picks her issues, eh?

[FreeState]

8. K&R n/t

[tbyg52]

9. Woo hoo! I got to be #5! (It takes so little to make me happy... ;-> ) nt

Edited because I can't type just one little line without a stupid typo.... :grr:

[eridani]

10. Thusly illustrating why even a DLC Dem is better than a Republican

With a Repuke in her seat, you'd get exactly the same whoring in favor of banks, and a big helping of homophobia in addition. Don't like being screwed by banks, but it would be worse with the added homophobia.