DADT Repeal Won't Happen in Congress

The Advocate reports:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid speaking at a press conference Monday said he has no plans to introduce a bill to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" in the Senate. "I haven't identified any sponsors," he said. "My hope is that it can be done administratively."

A Democratic aide later clarified that Reid was speaking about the possibility of using an executive order to suspend discharges or perhaps halting enforcement of the policy by changing departmental regulations within the Department of Defense.

White House press secretary Robert Gibbs has continually said in recent months that President Barack Obama believes the only "durable solution" to repealing the military's gay ban would be to do so through legislative action.

Senator Reid also indicated that he is waiting on the House of Representatives to take action on the bill that was introduced there in March. "If the House moves on this," he said, "I would be happy to take it up."

John Aravosis at Americablog comments:

So there you have it. The Democratic party at its homophobic, spineless, cynical best. Obama won't do squat on Don't Ask Don't Tell, he says it's the Congress' job. Harry Reid won't do squat on Don't Ask Don't Tell, he says it's Obama's job. And neither Reid nor Obama plan on doing anything to make anything happen on this issue.

It's not a priority for either of them. They'd rather pass a health care reform bill that excludes gay families from benefits. Oh yeah, didn't you know that? Do you honestly think Obama/Congress' health care reform bill is going to include gay families in their definition of spouses and dependents? Please. . . .

PS Note how in the article Senator Reid says Obama does in fact have administrative ways of, for all intents and purposes, repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell. Which 100% contradicts what Obama and company are telling us.

And speaking of the Democratic National Committee's $1,000-a-plate fundraiser scheduled for June 25 in honor of the 40th anniversary of Stonewall, Aravosis raises a very pertinent question:

Maybe someone should ask Barney Frank, Tammy Baldwin and Jared Polis [the three openly gay Congresspeople - Russ.] why they're still listed as hosts for the event, and why they've been too busy the past four days to say boo about Obama's betrayal of their own community.

David Mixner's already pulled out, and Aravosis says Andy Towle of Towleroad blog has too. Be very interesting to see what the elected gays in Congress do now that our community has been stabbed in the back by this Administration.