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OK, so today's Mothers' Day. I'm planning to stop by my mom's house shortly and check up on her. But before I do that, I must address this:
President Barack Obama's national security adviser says allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military is in the early discussions.
But retired Marine Gen. James Jones says it's very preliminary in a very busy administration.
Jones said Sunday he's not sure if the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy would be overturned, although Obama has said he wants it eliminated. Jones said the decision to go forward lies with the president.
For now, Jones says, "We have a lot on our plate right now."
Mr. Jones, President Obama, and members of Congress, you just allowed this fine patriotic soldier to be fired. And believe it or not, we've already lost too many thousands of good soldiers simply because they're queer. Now's the time to lift the military service ban. Seriously.
The LGBT community is anxious about Obama's slowness to move on their issues, according to the Atlantic's Marc Ambinder.
Mexico City policy? Reversed. Stem cell research? Authorized. Fair pay? Lilly Ledbetter! One-by-one, Democrats in Congress and President Obama have ticked through major planks of the Democratic Party platform. But the President has yet to utter a peep about gay rights, producing jitters in the gay rights community.
Ambinder cites administration sources who say workplace protections are coming soon, hate crime legislation is coming by the end of the year and revoking Don't Ask Don't Tell is not likely to be considered until after 2010.
That has provoked some righteous anger from Andrew Sullivan.
I wonder how Obama would have felt if Truman had followed the same path of cowardice and convenience in 1948, when racial integration was far more contentious in the military than gay integration is today. Or whether he would have applauded if the NAACP had decided that inter-racial marriage was too big a step for them in 1967 and they'd be content with calling it a "civil union." On the matter of civil rights in his own time, alas, the first black president has so far demonstrated the courage of a Clinton...
...Forget DADT. If a lobby has been unable to pass their core legislative priority - ENDA - that has support of well over 70 percent for two decades, why should we hope for real change at a federal level?...
...And I know the Obama peeps are trying to move ahead on some basic recognition of gay couples at a federal level and are working on some executive orders and regulations (such as the HIV immigration ban) that are worth supporting and applauding. But these service members are serving their country with decency, professionalism and honor. The way they are still treated is a disgrace, and the insult to their service is a deep and dreadful one. End it. Treat them finally as the heroes they truly are.
