DADT Lawsuit: Yes, Obama's Lawyers Want To Keep the Policy Alive And Well




The Department of Justice filed an objection in Log Cabin Republicans v. United States, asking Judge Virginia Phillips to block the plaintiffs' request for "worldwide, military-wide injunction" halting Don't Ask Don't Tell's further use. DoJ wants any injunction to be limited only to the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, effectively keeping DADT alive except for the soldiers who sued the government. How come? Because a worldwide injunction would mean the feds would, according to DoJ logic, have to continue defending DADT in other courts. And UGH THAT WOULD BE SO ANNOYING. Knowing how everyone was going to respond (anger, frustration, drinking games involving the words "Obama" and "typical"), White House press secretary Robert Gibbs insisted in an email:
Today, the Department of Justice made a filing in a legal challenge to the Don’t Ask, Don’t tell (DADT) policy, as it traditionally does when acts of Congress are challenged. This filing in no way diminishes the President’s firm commitment to achieve a legislative repeal of DADT – indeed, it clearly shows why Congress must act to end this misguided policy. The President was disappointed earlier this week when a majority of the Senate was willing to proceed with National Defense Authorization Act, but political posturing created a 60 vote threshold. The President spoke out against DADT in his first State of the Union Address, and the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs have both testified in support of repeal. And the Department of Defense continues to work on a plan on how to implement repeal. The President, along with his Administration, will continue to work with the Senate Leadership to achieve a legislative repeal of DADT as outlined in the NDAA this fall.
LCR head R. Clarke Cooper issued the requisite response: "We are not surprised by this but we are extremely disappointed with the Obama administration. Many times on the campaign trail, President Obama said he would support the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell.' Now that it's time to step up to the plate, he isn't even in the ballpark."
And just when we got done wondering aloud "Can The White House Still Win After the Senate's DADT Fail? Yes: Don't Appeal Federal Ruling." Battling the rights of gay soldiers in court, evidently, is all part of Barack Obama and the Human Rights Campaign's secret "road map" to equality, evidently.
Aiight folks, you know what to do.


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