"Joy and pleasure are as real as pain and sorrow and one must learn what they have to teach. . . ." -- Sean Russell, from Gatherer of Clouds

"If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right." -- Helyn D. Goldenberg

"I love you and I'm not afraid." -- Evanescence, "My Last Breath"

“If I hear ‘not allowed’ much oftener,” said Sam, “I’m going to get angry.” -- J.R.R. Tolkien, from Lord of the Rings

Friday, July 15, 2011

You Have to Wonder, Part ?

The Obama DoJ, true to form, has asked the Ninth Circuit to reinstate the stay on the worldwide injunction against enforcement of DADT. Do you suppose it's going to take the Pentagon another ten months to figure out if they want to appeal?

My take on this is that it's entirely possible that Obama does not want a judicial resolution to DADT. First, he's real big on process, like the other kabuki dancers in Washington. And if there's a definitive finding that DADT is unconstitutional, that means it's a closed book -- Congress cannot reinstate it, nor can it be reinstated by executive order. Want to bet someone doesn't like that kind of limitation on his power?

And I have to wonder what part the Joint Chiefs are playing in this. I'm not really convinced that the officer corps of our military, notorious for its overt Christianism, it really happy with repeal.

Here's a comment from Adam Serwer that brings up a point I had forgotten: Obama promised Congress that the military would be in control of the process. Aside from the essential wrongness of that idea (um, hello? Civilian control of the military? Hello?), it's apparent that Obama is a real process junkie. He's convinced (publicly at least) that legislative repeal is the best option. I'm not so much, but it appears he's committed himself to that.

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