Obama Opposes "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

But Says He Won't Require Appointees To The Joint Chiefs Of Staff To Agree With Him

(AP)  Barack Obama says if elected president he won't require that his appointees to the Joint Chiefs of Staff support allowing gays to serve openly in the military.

The Democratic presidential front-runner favors repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays, which was instituted during the Clinton administration. He said his priority for the Joint Chiefs will be that they make decisions to strengthen the military and keep the country safe, not their position on the policy.

"I would never make this a litmus test for the Joint Chiefs of Staff," Obama said in an interview with The Advocate, a gay newsmagazine.

"But I think there's increasing recognition within the Armed Forces that this is a counterproductive strategy," he said. "We're spending large sums of money to kick highly qualified gays or lesbians out of our military, some of whom possess specialties like Arab-language capabilities that we desperately need. That doesn't make us more safe."

The Advocate provided The Associated Press with excerpts of the interview, posted on its Web site Thursday.

The interview comes after Obama was criticized by gay advocates for not speaking to the gay media. The Philadelphia Gay News last week ran a large blank space on its front page next to an interview with Hillary Rodham Clinton to highlight that he did not talk to the publication.

"The gay press may feel like I'm not giving them enough love, but basically all press feels that way at all times," Obama told The Advocate. He said he's frequently spoken out against homophobia and in support of gay rights.

Asked what he could reasonably accomplish for the gay community as president, Obama said he can "reasonably see" repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy as well as signing legislation to ban workplace discrimination against gays. He said he'd like transgendered people to be covered by the law, but thinks it would be tough to get such legislation through Congress.

Obama also said he's interested in ensuring that same-sex couples in civil unions get federal benefits.

[kansas1946]

It is an idiot policy. Anyone with a brain would be against the policy. And Obama, definately has a brain. That is itself is a refreshing change from what we have had in the Whitehouse for eight years. Bush''s theme song should be the scarecrow''s wish from the Wizard of Oz, "If I Only Had A Brain."

[maine4truth]

Wow! OBAMA ABDICATES ONCE AGAIN! Does he not understand a Commander in Chief sets operational policy for the military??????

So how will this work if the Military Chief happens tothink the morale of troops would be better if blacks, or women were NOT in their troops???????

This big talker is just plain dumb, and getting more so day by day!

[ouronlyhope]

As a vet, I experienced the don''t tell policy first-hand. It doesn''t work. Just like everything that hides the truth and causes deceit, it creates distrust & hate. If it were abolished, understanding & acceptance would follow. SLOWLY, just like in society...but at least we could start moving in that direction.

[vivgirl]

Barrack has never had to take a group shower nor has had to hot rack like they do on Navy ships. I was in the Military and I had friends who were gay. They could and were openly gay as long as it was not on Post and the ship. The fact of the matter is the Don''t ask Don''t tell policy protects everyone. I personally feel just as uncomfortable sharing a dressing room and shower with a open Lesbian as i would any man beside my husband. The military does not have the facilities to support private rooms. The fact of the matter is that you could not be openly straight on a ship. Any actions such as kissing another single person on the ship often got punishments such as removal from unit (I have seen them separate the two making it extremely difficult for the two to have any type of relationship)reduced in rank and 45 days restriction to the boat. All of which I have seen bestowed upon one person who had a squeaky clean record. The fact of the matter it is just not feasible in the military. Barrack would not know because he obviously knows very little about military.

[popstom1]

Yeah That boy an''t right

[sjbj2322]

The Larry Sinclair comments are not a bit off where it comes to BLKPRESIDENT. He has had a field day bashing Hillary and women in general saying some of the most vile and crude things he can come up with. Tickles me to death to see that someone got his goat. Way to go Granny!!

[popstom1]

I don''t like Obama but Mr.Sinclair is bit off

[ddrbc]

Judge Henry Kennedy, who presides over District Court in Washington, D.C., has granted Larry Sinclair%u2019s motion for discovery and signed an order for subpoenas regarding Sinclair%u2019s defamation lawsuit against three Internet posters. (Larry Sinclair claims to have used cocaine and engaged in gay *** with Obama.)

To further complicate the controversy, Sinclair has also sent an affidavit to the Chicago Police discussing the %u2018Donald Young connection%u2019 and is aggressively urging a further investigation into his death and connection to the Obama camp.

This additional and strange leg of the story claims that a recently murdered (gay) Choir Master of TRINITY UNITED CHURCH, by the name of Donald Young, contacted Sinclair multiple times about this whole issue of Obama%u2019s relationship with Sinclair (apparently under the instructions of the Obama campaign), even admitting to having homosexual relations with Obama himself. The subsequent death of this gay man (who belonged to Obama%u2019s church) is quite mysterious and it has not reached the Mainstream National news.

[popstom1]

You got to forgive BLKPRESIDENT granny you ruined
his fantasy with Mr.Obama He might be a bit jelouse

[popstom1]

hehehehahahahehe this is too funny

[kstar42]

Posted by BLKPRESIDENT at 08:29 PM : Apr 10, 2008

FOR PETES SAKE BLK LIGHTEN UP...IT WAS FUNNY....GET OVER IT..

[blkpresident]

Kstar42,

Glad you think ''Granny is so amusing. Too bad Larry Sinclair''s credibility is about as high as a ****-ants ***. The real issue in this campaign is OLD man McCain''s age and lil'' missy Clinton''s pipe dream about a woman becoming president while we are at war in two hotspots in the world. Commander-in-Chief? more like lil'' susie in an apron.

[blkpresident]

''Granny,

You''re NOT very funny. Don''t appreciate your Larry Sinclair comments. Besides, Larry Sinclair believes in the Easter Bunny, Santa, and claims he saw an alien spaceship land on the White House lawn, where he claims he saw Elvis and JFK wave to him from inside that spacecraft. What a %^$#$% clown!

[kstar42]

That''''s what Obama told Larry Sinclair,..."Don''''t ask,..Please don''''t tell!"


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by obamasgranny at 08:02 PM : Apr 10, 2008

YOUR TO FUNNY:)

[obamasgranny]

That''s what Obama told Larry Sinclair,..."Don''t ask,..Please don''t tell!"

[greenfun]

sfgate.com Obama snub still rankles Newsom

What is it with Barack Obama and the ***? Now we hear that Obama refused to have his picture taken with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom at a fund raiser because of the fallout over Mayor Newsom''s push to allow gay marriage in San Francisco a few years back. It seems Mr. Newsom remembers the slight quite well, for he was widely seen as an active participant in a town hall meeting broadcast on cable TV and satellite radio for the Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign last week. Ain''t payback a ***?

[taddles-2009]

"Arab ***?

Posted by Trapbreak at 03:48 PM : Apr 10, 2008"


Yes, they have them there too. Amazingly, they are everywhere.

[taddles-2009]

"It''''s a matter of law, which I''''m sure goes right over your head. The federal government does not and will not recoginze ''''fudgepacker'''' relationships.

Posted by LibH8er at 03:33 PM : Apr 10, 2008"


This is a matter of Pentagon policy not law. The "don''t ask don''t tell" thing is a presidential directive not a law. There ARE laws against discrimination and against crimes against minorities but there are no laws declaring g4ys unrecognized.

[whitepicks2]

Asked about *** in the military, McCain stated in his modestly boastful way that he had served with many in the Navy, though he had never discussed the subject with them. He probably thought this proved that "don''t ask, don''t tell" works, but there was a slight problem: McCain was in the Navy back when *** were barred from the military and faced instant dismissal if exposed. Naturally they never discussed it with him.

That being the case, the reporter shot back, how did McCain know they were gay? He lumbered into a wordy answer about recognizing "by behavior and by attitudes," whereupon gay spokesmen issued their usual condemnation of stereotyping. Their reaction was fairly tepid as these things go, but McCain panicked and made another statement, explaining that he had merely had "suspicions" about certain shipmates, and that someone else had told him they were gay.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_2000_March_20/ai_59705214

goes on to say about McCain........*** prefer heterosexuals who are worldly, raffish, nonconformist, and eccentric, not out of snobbery or decadence but because these types never meet a thought they cannot entertain-royally.

[libh8er]

You have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a fierce resolve. Posted by whitepicks2 at 03:39 PM : Apr 10, 2008

OMG....we''ve awakened the Malibu Chapter of the Sugar Plum Fairies!!!! RUN! HIDE! Hillary, the snipers are coming!!!! LOL