The President released a statement expanding benefits for lesbian and gay federal employees for coverage for their partners yesterday.
I watched it on CNN and was taken by his words. You can watch or read it here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Wrongs-that-We-Intend-to-Right-Today/
The President said it was a first step. First steps are good.
But, it was a pretty small step. And it doesn't undo the inexplicable and shameful defense by the Obama Department of Justice last week of DOMA, which compared same sex marriage to incest.
The President yesterday said he is committed to overturning DOMA and understands it is wrong. Those next steps can't come quick enough.
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Well, all I can say is ... Executive Order 9981.
That's the order Harry Truman signed in 1948 to desegregate the military. He did it quietly, with little fuss, expanding on FDR's previous order barring racial discrimination in defense industries.
Obama could easily follow that precedent by issuing an executive order to effectively kill DADT.
Eric Holder could perform a similar action regarding instructions on how to respond to lawsuits against DOMA.
And what can we do? Keep writing Obama to keep his word and act like the leader he is.
Obama is the first African American president we've ever had. He can't do anything on the sly and he realizes this. Better to try and get things done out in the open where conspiracy theorists can't accuse him.
He seemed rather adamant in his statement that he intends to overturn DOMA, but we must remember that there are two other branches of government that are built to check him. He cannot act on his own. He is a leader, not the driver of some cosmic policy car.
It will happen, let us remember he's only been at it 150 days.
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