By Jessica Bennett and Daniel Stone
As gay activists protest the selection of evangelical megapastor Rick Warren to give the inaugural invocation, they could have reason to cheer a future Obama announcement. Sources tell NEWSWEEK that the president-elect is considering the appointment of the first openly gay chief of a military branch.
Bill White, president of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York, is being backed by congressional and former military leaders to be the next secretary of the Navy. Among White's vocal supporters are retired Gen. Hugh Shelton, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Rep. Jerrold Nadler, a New York Democrat whose district includes the newly renovated Intrepid museum which sits on an aircraft carrier in the Hudson River. Nadler says members of Obama's transition team have reached out to him about White. "They're clearly vetting him," he tells NEWSWEEK.
Another favorite caught in the Beltway chatter for the job is Juan Garcia, a former naval aviator who attended Harvard Law School with Obama and was chairman of his campaign in Texas.
Because the Navy secretary is a civilian job, White's appointment wouldn't directly conflict with the military ban on gays. But it would certainly bring new attention to the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy as Obama gets ready to take office. Getting rid of that law--under which more than 12,000 members of the military have been discharged--was an Obama campaign promise, though the president-elect has since acknowledged its repeal might take some time. If nominated, White, 42, will likely face questions about his take on that policy, implemented by President Clinton in 1993.
Though he's never served in the military, backers say White has extensive contacts in the armed forces through his role with the Intrepid Museum and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a $100 million nonprofit set up to help military families and wounded vets. White also serves as a trustee of the Fisher House Foundation, which provides free housing at military and veterans hospitals for families who want to be near the recovery process. Reached by telephone, a spokeswoman for White said he would not be commenting, but has considered his work with the armed forces "truly the highest privilege."
"I certainly recommend him," Nadler says. "For the many years that I've known him, he's been an advocate for military personnel and their families, and for veterans." A source close to the talks says that incoming secretary of state Hillary Clinton has expressed support for White's nomination, although a spokesperson for Clinton (who remains a senator until she is confirmed next month) did not return calls for comment.
Supporters of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" have said that nominating White would send the wrong signal. "It's a matter of judgment, and I think that would be very poor judgment on the part of the commander in chief," Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, told The Washington Times, which first reported the White rumors. Meanwhile, in a statement released by the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay advocacy group, President Joe Solmonese said White's nomination would be a "concrete demostration" that the Obama administration sees "no place" for employment discrimination in government. "President-elect Obama has said both during his time in the Senate and on the campaign trail that overturning 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' was a priority for him, but he's also been straightforward and realistic that this is a measure that's going to require a great deal of strategy," Solmonese tells NEWSWEEK. "The consideration of this appointment certainly bodes well for keeping with Obama's commitment to address this issue."
The Obama transition team declined to comment.
from www.newsweek.com
I thought this was interesting, sort of. I also thought it odd that he runs a museum and has no military background. I did some checking, and it seems that most Sec. of the Navy have not been military, they have been business people or academics and congressmen. I also noticed in my browsing that there have been 6 Navy Secretaries under Bush. Does that seem high? Anyway, assuming he is qualified I like the message it sends about Obama's administration. Hopefully that dumbass don't ask don't tell will be repealed before too long. 12000 soldiers discharged? Pretty lame reasons when the military is begging people to enlist.
1 comment:
14 years ago, homosexuality in the service was a far more hot button topic than it is now. At the time, "Don't ask don't tell" served its purpose: allowing gay members to serve, while laying the ground work for internal acceptance of the fact that being gay does not compromise one's ability to do their job.
Now that the bulk of the military is populated by men and women from the "Will and Grace" generation, I think there's largely a great deal more support for allowing gay members to serve than there were 10 to 15 years ago.
The U.S. Military, in my mind, is generally a fairly good litmus test of where civil rights are going in our country at any given time; The Tuskegee Airmen were proving their mettle and earning the respect of their peers before the words "civil rights" were even a part of the popular lexicon. Colon Powell was a highly decorated Colonel serving in Vietnam while people of color were being hosed down in the streets back home.
The military services are about as close to real meritocracy as we're going to find in our culture; But each branch has a very specific, ingrained culture led by largely conservative people who are resistant to change; Because improperly implemented change costs lives and resources. And for the most part, almost all of the arguments that have been made *for* a ban on gays in the military revolve around a fear of a breakdown in unit cohesion.
And 15 years ago, those arguments were plausible. A 100% open door policy would not have worked as well as we would have liked, because I don't think the greater social zeitgeist had matured far enough ahead to process and accept such a radical departure from their ingrained, testosterone driven culture of machismo.
But today, I think a repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell and the ban on gays in general is certainly plausible. Hell, I think it's an imperative.
Granted, it will be harder for some services than others. The Air Force, the Coast Guard, and the Navy (especially the Navy!:P) are likely to adapt very quickly and easily. And the Army, too. The Marines? Hmmm... well...
Post a Comment