Jarrett: Obama Will Move on DADT "Right Away"

By Julie Bolcer

Maddow Jarrettx390 (Screen grab) | Advocate.com

White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show Wednesday and said that President Barack Obama would begin to move “right away” on his pledge to work to repeal the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy.

During his State of the Union address, Obama reiterated his promise to end the policy, but the pledge lacked specificity.

“This year I will work with Congress and our military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are — it’s the right thing to do," he said.

Pressing for more, Maddow asked Jarrett, a close Obama confidante, when DADT would be repealed and what the president would specifically do in order to get it repealed.

“Well, I think he was very clear this evening that he intends to do it,” said Jarrett. “He has said it in the campaign, he said it very clearly throughout the year, and he’s going to begin a process, starting right away, to move forward with that. And in the days and weeks ahead he will outline for that, for you, and for the general public, specifically how he’ll do that,” she said.

Watch the clip below. The DADT discussion begins around the 10:50 mark.

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Reader Comments

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Name: TJ
Date posted: 1/30/2010 2:26:44 AM
Hometown: Virginia Beach

Comment:
it's true that the recruiters do turn a blind eye when it comes to getting the so-called "righteous" candidates to join...when i was going to join a couple of years back, i saw a lot of less-worthy types get told that they (the recruiters) would try to bend the rules to get these types in. they included a guy who was a recovering drug abuser, a guy who spent the last 10 years in prison and another guy who was about to go to court for beating on his girlfriend. last time i checked with my friend who actually did go in and was present with these others, those guy got in! and me, with no criminal past, a 97 ASVAB score, and a college degree can't go in because i'm gay? the government says it's to keep the "wrong element" out of the military...yet, if you look at the news...all you see are stories about "straight" soldiers snapping and acting stupid or shooting up the place...where's the logic in that?
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Name: raven
Date posted: 1/29/2010 3:40:55 AM
Hometown: Provincetown, MA

Comment:
The United States wants men and women to serve in the military and yet puts strict limits on who will be accepted. These limits include the "Don't ask don't tell" in addition to physical requirements,(which I belive have been lowered due to lack of recruits), intelligence requirements(that I have heard are lower now due to lack of recruits) and arrest and legal requirements (which I'll bet have been lowered due to lack of recruits). Who do the Military recruiters think they will get into the military? There is not much of a high quality pool of people to choose from that want to risk their lives and limbs as it is now. This is a parallel scenerio to the Red Cross and how they require blood donors to fill out a form. On the form, if you state that you are gay or a lesbian then you CANNOT give blood. If you don't state that you are, and deny yourself on the form, well, then you can give blood. The Red Cross is always complaining they don't have enough blood. These systems are nuts.
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Name: Paul H.
Date posted: 1/28/2010 8:53:00 PM
Hometown: Chicago, IL.

Comment:
"I am going to move forward to start a process that will look into the possibility of talking about getting together to look at ways that we might use to come to a consensus on exactly how to maybe reach a bipartisan effort to put in place that will entertain the idea of the quite likely probability that we could actually form a team to ..." OR he could have just said, "I, President Barrack Obama and Commander in Chief of the United States Armed Forces hearby rescind the Don't Ask - Don't Tell - Don't Pursue policy, and announce that from henceforth, Lesbians and Gays can now serve OPENLY and with pride in any of the Armed Forces of the United States." Why waste Congress' time? Why waste ANYONE's time? Just get it the hell over with. Say it and move the fuck on.
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Name: William
Date posted: 1/28/2010 5:16:15 PM
Hometown: Orlando

Comment:
Obama's promise to reverse DADT is more about getting gay votes than about real change. I don't believe he can muster support to make it happen. But hey; DADT could always be expanded - to include religion. I would support that. No one allowed to ask or tell what religion they “believe” in . That would be great!
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Name: Paula
Date posted: 1/28/2010 4:12:56 PM
Hometown: El Paso

Comment:
Whatever, Mr. President. Yeah, yeah, I know these are not the droids that we are looking for, move along
Back to top Post a Comment Report Abuse
Name: T
Date posted: 1/28/2010 4:03:27 PM
Hometown: Chicago

Comment:
Seems to me that if they repeal DADT, then gays will not be allowed to serve at all. Isn't this what DADT did, allow gays to serve? Wouldn't repealing this be WORSE for the LGBT community?
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Name: TJ
Date posted: 1/28/2010 3:13:42 PM
Hometown: Virginia Beach

Comment:
We in the gay community shouldn't be at all surprised over Obama's lack of motivation towards repealing DADT or bringing an end to the ban on gay marriage...We got hoodwinked...Despite the color of the man's skin and his outward appearance of being charismatic and a caring President, at the end of the day, the man is STILL a politician...He went on the campaign trail and told us what we wanted to hear, to secure our votes....He got them...Now, he doesn't even acknowledge us outside of the occasional "blip" in his speeches...For a man with a high amount of swagger in Washington, where he can get most things done just by saying so, he doesn't seem to be in much of a hurry to uphold his promise to us...I suggest we withhold our support of any re-election plans he may have in the future until this man makes amends and gives us what we deserve...
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Name: Ben
Date posted: 1/28/2010 2:00:46 PM
Hometown: NY

Comment:
Yeah right. It would help if our so-called leaders had some common sense.
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Name: mike
Date posted: 1/28/2010 1:23:29 PM
Hometown: cincinnati

Comment:
These politicians should save the gay community a lot of money--no contributions. We are not a priority. They don't care if we have equal rights. We are working and paying taxes. We don't have 2nd class written on our foreheads for all to see when we walk down the street. We live in the land of the free. Justice for all.
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Name: dan W
Date posted: 1/28/2010 12:51:45 PM
Hometown: Tarrtyown

Comment:
Blah, Blah, Blah,...........that man and his pretty words. They mean nothing.

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