Could House Resolution (HR) 1283 end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy that has discriminated against gays by not allowing them to serve openly in the military? Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA) believes that it should and that it will. HR 1283, which is entitled the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2009, would replace "the current policy concerning homosexuality in the Armed Forces, referred to as `Don't Ask, Don't Tell', with a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation." If passed HR 1283 would repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (Section 654 of title 10, United States Code), however, it would not "require the furnishing of dependent benefits."
Congressman Murphy announced Wednesday that he is taking over the lead sponsorship of the bill, which was filed in March by Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher (D-CA). At the press conference, Murphy announced the launch of a nationwide tour "Voices of Honor," sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign and Servicemembers United
"My time in Iraq taught me that our military needs and deserves the best and the brightest who are willing to serve- and that means all Americans, regardless of their orientation. Discharging brave and talented service members from our armed forces is contrary to the values that our military fights for and that our nation holds dear."
President Barack Obama likes to make history. Yesterday Obama announced Judge Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee for Supreme Court Justice; Sotomayor, if confirmed by the Senate, will be only the third woman to serve on the Supreme Court and the first person of Latin descent. Within the first twenty-four hours of the announcement the conservative voices began to attack Sotomayor, and the attacks have little if anything to do with substance and everything to do with sexism and racism. However, most of the mainstream media and even most of the alternative media will not call these attacks what they are.
There have been the expected references to Judge Sotomayor being a liberal and an activist judge, and these labels would have been applied to whatever nominee President Obama would have announced. However, there have been questions raised about her intellect and her temperament, questions that are completely centered in sexism. From all of the usual suspects these questions have been raised about a woman with impeccable credentials, a woman that graduated with honors from two of the most prestigious universities in the country. None of these same questions where raised about any of the previous male nominees. Also, this idea of temperament has a mixture of both sexism and racism. Women who achieve higher positions of authority are often painted as less feminine, and as being overly aggressive. There is also the racial stereotype of the angry Latin woman, a stereotype that is often specifically perpetuated about Puerto Rican women.
Judge Sotomayor has also already been labeled as a racist, or even the ridiculous label of reverse racist, because of the Ricci v New Haven case in which the New Haven fire department through out promotion exams because it was deemed racial bias. There is also the quote that the conservatives are already repeating with regularity. Sotomayor said in 2001 that, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life." That sound you heard was every conservative white man clinching his fist at the idea that a Latina could actually reach a better conclusion than them.
After President Obama's election and the adoption of the nineteen month withdrawal plan, the war in Iraq has faded out of the public debate. However, the war in Iraq is far from fading on the battlefield, and the violence in Iraq could be on the verge of increasing.
According to Casualties.org 4,299 American military service members have died in Iraq and March was the lowest level of American casualties (9) since the war in Iraq began. However, last month was the highest total of American casualties (19) since September of last year, and this month 17 service members have died in Iraq.
The Washington Post reported yesterday, that three United States soldiers were killed and nine were wounded while on patrol in a marketplace in western Baghdad. Also, early that day eight Sunnis where killed in a suicide bombing in Kirkuk.
In northern Iraq tensions between the Kurds and the Sunni Arabs are mounting. According to an article in the New York Times earlier this week, the Kurds have refused to recognize the Iraqi government's sovereignty over the Kurdish occupied Nineveh province. The newly elected Sunni Arab governor was not allowed to enter a Kurdish controlled town, a Sunni Arab Nineveh police chief was not allowed to cross a bridge into a Kurdish controlled area, and there have been other similar incidents in the last several weeks.
Early this month the New York Times reported on a bombing in Sadr City; that kind of violence had not been seen in the city since November of 2006. The report stated that sectarian violence had increased recently, and the victims of the attacks expressed the possibility of retaliation against those they felt where responsible.
"...the people were angry and they started talking about reacting. Some of them said that they were ready to return back to the old days, and sink deep into a sectarian war again. Until last week I would not have believed that Iraqis dared to think that there is a possibility of returning to hell."
Apparently Commerce Secretary Bill Richardson isn't enough. The Hispanic Caucus wants more.
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, frustrated that just one Latino has been picked for Barack Obama's Cabinet to date, is pushing Houston state Rep. Rick Noriega and 13 other prominent Hispanics for the eight remaining spots in the president-elect's Cabinet.
Reps. Charlie Gonzalez, D-Texas, and Joe Baca, D-Calif., sent a letter yesterday to Obama's transition team on behalf of the Hispanic Caucus recommending that Noriega be considered for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs position. Noriega, a reserve Army officer who has served in Afghanistan, has met with the Obama team in Chicago, our Chronicle collegue Alan Bernstein reported last week. Noriega will be looking for a job in January: He gave up his seat in the Texas House to run unsuccessfully against Republican Sen. John Cornyn.
As was mentioned by those in this community earlier, Noriega would actually be a good pick for FEMA, too. In fact, I think if you are discussing the best 5 possibilities to run FEMA under President-elect Obama, Rick Noriega's name HAS TO be mentioned. His time in the military has given him key managing skills, and he showed them in a time of emergency when he headed the George R Brown Convention Center in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
It's probably a good bet, though, that Noriega is under consideration for both FEMA and Veteran Affairs. Obama attempted to reassure the Hispanic caucus when he announced Richardson today:
President-elect Barack Obama has a simple message for Hispanic leaders who are disappointed he has not named more Latinos to his Cabinet: Give me some more time.
"I've completed about half of my Cabinet," Obama told a press conference today announcing the selection of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Latino, as Commerce Secretary.
"When people see the entire slate, what they will see is this is one of the most diverse cabinets and White House staffs of all time."
Larry Romo may have the opportunity to serve in Pres-elect Obama's administration as director of the Selective Service. In an article in today's Express-News Larry discusses the possible opportunity and admits he's probably a long shot for the post. Larry has long been an advocate for members of the military, both active and inactive. He currently serves with the Army Recruiting Command's soldier and family assistance program. You probably see him in here occasionally commenting on political matters.
I've had the opportunity to work with Larry throughout the years in political situations, most recently when he chaired the credentials committee for the SD 26 Senatorial District Convention. He helped maintain balance during a very trying time and keep a cool head in the situation. I really feel Larry would be great in this position and would continue a tradition of another San Antonian, retired Air Force Col. Gil Coronado, who headed the service during Pres. Clinton's administration.
