Obama delays movement on DADT

On the heels of John McCain's opinion that DADT "has been working and I think it’s been working well", President Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs announced that there will be no immediate move to change the policy.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs today indicated that President Obama will not intervene to keep gay servicemembers from being dismissed from the military, despite his vow to end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

Gibbs said "the policy isn?t working for our national interests," but added that ending it will "require more than the snapping of one's fingers."

"To get fundamental reform in this instance requires a legislative vehicle," Gibbs said. "The president made a promise to change this policy; he will work with the Joints Chiefs of Staff, the administration and with Congress to ensure that we have a policy that works for our national interests."

Back in November, Obama's camp was already signaling that they would drop the ball on this issue and delay any movement on it until at least 2010. The excuse then was the need to reach a consensus and then present legislation to Congress...which is pretty much the same excuse they are using now.

Some anti-gay organizations like Cornerstone Policy Research have claimed that most Americans don't want gays in the military. Unfortunately for their case, their evidence is false.

The truth is quite the contrary. A recent Quinnipiac University national poll shows the majority of Americans want the policy repealed. And I have repeatedly noted that more than 100 retired generals and admirals have called for the repeal of the policy.

That seems like consensus to me.

Obama needs to get moving on this or he seriously runs the risk of electoral backlash in the next election.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network has various petitions you can sign to prod the government into doing what is right. They provide an easy way to write to the House, the Senate, or even President Obama.