SUBSEQUENT EVENTS HAVE ONLY PROVEN WHAT TOO FEW REALIZED FEBRUARY 2ND: THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION HAD SURRENDERED TOTAL CONTROL OF THE BAN TO SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ROBERT GATES WHO—DESPITE HIS CHARADE OF SUPPORTING REPEAL—CREATED A NEEDLESS STUDY BUILT UPON HOMOPHOBIC ASSUMPTIONS AND TIMED TO RUN OUT THE LEGISLATIVE CLOCK ON ANY CHANCE OF A POST MIDTERMS VOTE.
WHEN CONGRESS REFUSED TO WAIT, PRESIDENT OBAMA, THE MAN WHO HAD PROMISED TO PERSONALLY FIGHT TO END DISCHARGES WITH THE FIVE-YEAR OLD "MILITARY READINESS ENHANCEMENT ACT," CAPITULATED TO GATES' OUTRAGEOUS DEMAND THAT CONGRESS TEAR IT UP AND REPLACE IT WITH AN AMENDMENT THAT, EVEN IF IT DOES TRIGGER REPEAL OF THE DADT STATUTE SOMETIME NEXT YEAR, CONTAINS NOTHING PREVENTING THE PENTAGON FROM GOING BACK TO THEIR OWN PRE-DADT BAN AND CONTINUING DISCHARGES IN PERPETUITY.
Video on the left is of the entire hearing held on February 2, 2010, during which too few paid attention to insistence by Gates & Mullen that Congress not touch repeal until after their "study" was completed in December...weeks past any chance to include repeal in the defense authorization bill and after expected Democratic losses in Congress. In addition, Gates said that even whenever repeal did happen, they wanted at least another year to continue discharges while they "implement changes."
Video on the right is Committee Chair Carl Levin speaking with reporters and others after hearing. He says he believes the pace Gates proposed is too slow, that a moratorium on discharges makes a lot of sense to him during their study, that a moratorium or repeal itself could by included in defense authorization bill. LT. Dan Choi, off camera, asks him for a speedy repeal and Levin says he's followed his career and admires him. Audio begins at about 1:50 point.
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Mark Bingham
Sen. John McCain at Memorial for Gay American Hero Mark Bingham, September 2001
