Colin Powell has added his voice to the growing chorus calling for the repeal of DADT.
Colin Powell, still one of the most respected voices on national security in the United States, added his voice to the growing chorus of calls for the Obama White House to follow through on issues important to the LGBTQ community. Tensions have risen lately, as other issues repeatedly brought up on the campaign trail have seen active White house attention. Obama’s meeting with LGTBQ activists eased the tensions somewhat, but more talk can only accomplish so much, and the community recognizes that.
Political Considerations
I understand the short-term political math that is probably behind the Administration’s slow build on these issues. The White House needs the support of conservative Democrats if they hope to break a Republican filibuster (which I firmly believe is a filibluff and the Obama Administration should call them on it) on health care reform. Forcing a move on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell could cause those same Democrats some concern over their constituents back home. Many of these Dems won hard-fought elections against Republicans likely to call them out for a re-match. Continue reading…
The fate of the GOP now rests securely in President Obama's hands.
With Al Franken finally being certified as the winner in Minnesota’s 2008 senatorial race, we have suddenly arrived at the first test of my theory concerning Nate Silver’s Republican Death Spiral. Franken’s arrival gives the Democrats a 60-seat majority in the Senate. No one should get terribly excited about this, both for the reasons outlined in virtually every major news outlet as well as the fact that 60 shouldn’t be the big number we make it. Virtually all of Obama’s agenda now depends on how well he can hold together his party’s much-expanded coalition.
A Tipping Point
In my initial post on this topic, one of the major determinants was how quickly internal bickering began to actually cause a rift in the Democratic Party. With steady, competent leadership, the Democrats may hold their coalition together long enough for the Republicans to bleed out. However, if the bickering becomes damaging very quickly, and voters believe the party to be ineffectual, those who recently left the Republican Party may run back. If the Democratic coalition holds out longer, the Republicans may have hemorrhaged too many voters to recover. If, for instance, the Libertarian Party manages to gain parity with their Republican cousins, then that party, and not the GOP could be the beneficiary of a Democratic split. Continue reading…
The Obama White House has decided that it will not appeal a ruling by a federal court which found that The Library of congress, under the Bush Administration, had discriminated against a transgendered woman in its hiring practices. The judgment, nearly $500,000, will be award unchallenged, in an action that Dick Cheney will surely point to as reason for violence in Pakistan. Continue reading…
