Put the Judy Garland CD down, soldier, before someone gets hurt

The latest item on the ever-lengthening list of Obama's broken, modified, delayed, or "I never actually said that" promises is the one about "gays" in the Army. Now it appears that this burning issue, which was supposed to be Job One... or at least Job One and One Half... upon his taking office is going to be put off until 2010. This is based on a perceived need to -- guess what -- actually consult the military on the issue, rather than issuing a diktat. In this, at least, Obama (or someone on his team) is showing a bit more level-headedness than his Democratic predecessor, who reasoned that, "Hey, the pen is mightier than the sword, right? So I can make the military do anything I want it to." At the time of the first "gays in the Army" flap, I was working for an Army agency which shall remain nameless (to protect the guilty who are now out of reach anyway). We had just received "guidance" to commence researching the issue, i.e. what would be the "impact", and of what sort, of admitting overtly gay (including lesbian) individuals to the service? We were not expected to come up with recommendations, of course -- that was left to the political appointees and the top echelon of officers -- but the data we produced were expected to "inform" the process. Of course, I saw right away, based on bitter experience with other "social issues", that this program was a no-win proposition for the agency. My basic point was, if the data seem to be in favor of admitting gays, the military will kill us... and if they seem to be in disfavor, the liberals and the media will kill us. Either way, we wind up dead. But I was a lone voice crying in the wilderness, and everyone prepared to bring the program on line asap. And then, like manna from Heaven, came the pronouncement that the issue would be settled, without any need for research, by the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Great relief (on my part)! We had dodged a huge bullet. Great disappointment for the people who had jumped on the bandwagon and who expected to make a name for themselves by performing the research. So we see that not only is military research heavily impacted by politics, it also interacts with human folly.

But the broader point, for the here and now, is that one of the many "granola coalition" elements that threw their support behind Obama (so to speak) was the gays, and they are nearly unanimous in favor of allowing openly gay individuals to join the service. And I, for one, have always felt they would do a perfectly good job in whatever jobs they were assigned to. I've also felt that their "gayness", even of the overt sort, would be no more disruptive in the military workplace than the usual "studness" that is displayed there. But, having said that, awkward situations could arise, and I also believe it's the right of the top commanders to make this sort of call. After all, readiness is supposedly their main mission... they've been given high rank, and great power over many people... so I don't think this is one of those decisions that should be grabbed away from them and turned over to politicians and political appointees. But in any case, there are gays and lesbians all across the, ahem, fruited plain waiting with baited breath for Obama to take office so he can open the doors of the military to those of their persuasion... and they are about to receive a crushing blow. "Not yet, folks." And what do you suppose their reaction will be? Oh, the usual round of rallies, marches, protests, candlelight vigils, and what not. (I can hear the chanting now -- "Hey, hey, Barack! Put me in the barracks!") They will feel betrayed, and rightly so. So they can join the ranks of all the other special, and not-so-special, interest groups that will be out there picketing the White House the minute their every wish is not granted by The Great One.

Now, do you think Obama will also break his promise to reverse the Bush tax cuts? No, I think that's the one he's going to keep come hell or high water.