Obama Administration Mounts a PR Assault on the Military "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Policy: Strategy Will Backfire

As anticipated, the Obama Administration is making noise about dismantling the military "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy toward gays. His press secretary confirmed that he wants to go to Congress to repeal the policy, but won't do so until late 2009 or 2010.

Ultimately, it won't work.

I think it will actually drive more gays out of the military and lead President Obama to hastily restore the policy--in it's current form. There are many who wouldn't mind seeing this happen.

President Clinton beat a hasty retreat on this issue and never returned to it. I think history will repeat itself with President Obama once he takes a measure of how the military feels about this issue, and how the public feels about it. In fact, he's already delayed looking at this issue until 2010.

I'm not sure that the Democrats in Congress will want to risk alienating their constituents, who have shown that they may vote their own way on issues related to gay rights, regardless of party label. Look at California and their Proposal 8 controversy. I knew that proposal would pass; voters don't like being told what to do and having the power of their votes taken away by activist judges.

Even though the Democrats control the government, I think this will be an uphill battle for them, should they choose to try. And at this stage, I'm not sure they want to go on record with their vote.

And even if they do succeed, how long will it last?

Veterans Deserve More: Government Has Dropped the Ball

On this day that we honor America's veterans for their service to our country, I find it APPALLING that 1/4 to 1/3 of America's homeless are also VETERANS.

This is shameful.

They put their lives on the line for our country, and come back from America's wars with both obvious and hidden injuries. It's a sad state of affairs when our various elected federal governments have to be prodded AGAIN and AGAIN to take the necessary steps to care for America's wounded warriors, both from the current wars and from past wars as well.

And yet, some 300,000 to 400,000 veterans are out in the cold, and the VA takes care of 100,000 of them annually. If the 400,000 number is accurate, then that means that 300,000 (or 75%) are left to fend for themselves.

I'm glad that the budget for Veterans Affairs has doubled to $93 billion in the last seven years, but they had no choice, with so many wounded veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan. I hope that the VA is expanding it's reach to help other, less fortunate veterans.

Thank you veterans, for putting on a uniform and putting it ALL on the line.