Lieberman mum on DADT role

Posted: Thursday, October 15, 2009 5:22 PM by firstread
Filed Under: Congress

from NBC's Bobby Cervantes
Sen. Joe Lieberman (I/D-CT) today deflected questions about his potential leadership role in the Senate’s attempt to overturn the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, saying only that he is in discussions with the White House and gay rights groups.

After a hearing on the Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act, which would allow gay federal employees to extend their benefits to their partners, Lieberman stressed the importance of garnering support for the repeal from Senate Republicans and having support within the military.

“It might not be my decision, but I just would want to make sure that we go about this in the most effective way that builds the highest probability of success,” the Connecticut Independent said, according to The Advocate.

While the White House is hesitant to make a timeline on the repeal, it has signaled its search for senators willing to co-sponsor repeal legislation.

After President Obama spoke to the Human Rights Campaign’s annual dinner on Saturday, it was reported that John Berry, director of the Office of Personnel Management and the administration’s highest-serving gay official, was in talks with Lieberman about becoming the White House’s point man in the Senate.

The House’s version of repeal legislation, which was introduced last March, is sponsored by Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), the first Iraq war veteran elected to Congress. Murphy, who has lined up some 176 co-sponsors, has said he expects DADT repeal legislation to hit the president's desk early next year.

EMAIL THIS

Comments

I'm watching this helieum baloon float aimlessly over the eastern slopes of Colorado, and all I can think of is George w Bush for some reason.....
the Best Man Won

----------
It's looking like the kid is dead. You happy with your little joke now?

Jenny C., MN (Sent Thursday, October 15, 2009 5:33 PM)

The saddest thing about my pro business wing of the Republican Party is that we are being marginalized by the social conservatives.

This is one area where we could pick up some support by being pro freedom, and we foul it up. Wake up GOP!

Scott D, Lufkin TX (Sent Thursday, October 15, 2009 5:33 PM)

You don't need support to do the right thing Lieberman. Ending DADT would simply make the military stronger and take what should be a non-issue in any job off the table. How many more well individuals who are well trained, at great expense to the taxpayers, need to be mustered out over a policy based purely on discrimination? If there are bigots that don't like the idea well, you'll never have their support, so don't waste your time with that. Do the right thing.

DW in SEA (Sent Thursday, October 15, 2009 5:47 PM)

Or:

From the UCLA newsroom:

"FDR's policies prolonged Depression by 7 years, UCLA economists calculate"

By Meg Sullivan August 10, 2004

Two UCLA economists say they have figured out why the Great Depression dragged on for almost 15 years, and they blame a suspect previously thought to be beyond reproach: President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

After scrutinizing Roosevelt's record for four years, Harold L. Cole and Lee E. Ohanian conclude in a new study that New Deal policies signed into law 71 years ago thwarted economic recovery for seven long years.

"Why the Great Depression lasted so long has always been a great mystery, and because we never really knew the reason, we have always worried whether we would have another 10- to 15-year economic slump," said Ohanian, vice chair of UCLA's Department of Economics. "We found that a relapse isn't likely unless lawmakers gum up a recovery with ill-conceived stimulus policies."

In an article in the August issue of the Journal of Political Economy, Ohanian and Cole blame specific anti-competition and pro-labor measures that Roosevelt promoted and signed into law June 16, 1933.

"President Roosevelt believed that excessive competition was responsible for the Depression by reducing prices and wages, and by extension reducing employment and demand for goods and services," said Cole, also a UCLA professor of economics. "So he came up with a recovery package that would be unimaginable today, allowing businesses in every industry to collude without the threat of antitrust prosecution and workers to demand salaries about 25 percent above where they ought to have been, given market forces. The economy was poised for a beautiful recovery, but that recovery was stalled by these misguided policies."

Richard, Washington State (Sent Thursday, October 15, 2009 5:47 PM)

Nothing to stand on and brag about, just a limited mind to work with.
Josh Larson, FL (Sent Thursday, October 15, 2009 5:20 PM)
=====

Quit ragging on the right wingers! They're already having a bad enough day around here.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall Whose the Meanest of them All? (Sent Thursday, October 15, 2009 5:48 PM)

The repeal of DADT will happen probably next year. It's one of those issues that must be done but the timing is critical. As much as I would like to see Pres Obama sign a temporary stop order to prevent further discharges, that could actually delay legislation to repeal the law.

Scott D, Lufkin TX. Well said. The extreme right is damaging the GOP.

Jody, Iowa (Sent Thursday, October 15, 2009 6:08 PM)

This is one area where we could pick up some support by being pro freedom, and we foul it up. Wake up GOP!
Scott D, Lufkin TX

I think the GOP is the Party of Freedom. It certainly isn't the Party of Taxes, which are the Democrats. The Democrats want all our money, want to force us to buy things we don't want, or pay fines if we don't buy them, and dictate what health care we'll get, while for the entire time they have smile on their face telling us "Trust us, we know what's right for you!". No. No they don't. And that hasn't got anything to do with any Freedom I'm familar with.

Steven Talbort, NJ (Sent Thursday, October 15, 2009 6:18 PM)

Lonny, Las Vegas, Nevada: '...The lack of interest in cleaning up corruption in this string is stunning. I get the feeling if someone revealed "Charlie Rangel is a mass murderer" some on the left would say "George Bush lied to us"...'

Fair enough
Then, should Sen John Ensign resign ?
He clearly broke the extortion and bribery laws
Should he resign ?

Should Sen David Vitter resign ?
He violated prostitution laws
Should he resign ??

On Principle, should Gov. Mark Sanford resign ?

Tell the truth !!

Msierra, SF (Sent Thursday, October 15, 2009 6:22 PM)

SEND A COMMENT

PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):

Your name, city and state (John Doe, Seattle, Wash.):

Your e-mail address (jdoe@msnbc.com):

Your website (it's okay if you don't have one):

Remember me? (We'll keep it private) Remember me?

TRACKBACKS

Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do not appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/trackback.aspx?PostID=2100331