Dan Choi: I am not gonna vote for Barack Obama after what he did yesterday

[democracy1st]

Run time: 03:57 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvbE6LIBY4o   Posted on YouTube: October 21, 2010 By YouTube Member: MOXNEWSd0tCOM Views on YouTube: 302   Posted on DU: October 22, 2010 By DU Member: democracy1st Views on DU: 1513

 
Lt. Dan Choi, a gay soldier discharged from the U.S. Army under "don't ask, don't tell," said Thursday that he won't vote for President Obama again due to a recently successful effort by the administration to freeze a repeal of the military protocol.

"You have lost my trust and I am not gonna vote for Barack Obama after what he did yesterday," Choi said in an interview with CNN today.

Earlier in the day, White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett attempted to explain the recent undertaking by the Department of Justice to appeal a ruling by U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips which halted "don't ask, don't tell" as an unconstitutional practice.

"It is a law, and we are a nation of laws. It was passed by Congress and so we are looking for Congress to repeal it," Jarrett told CNN. "Until Congress repeals it the Justice Department is doing what it is required to do and that is to defend the laws of the land."

Jarrett went on to claim that there were members of the gay community who understood the nature of the situation and were working with the White House to pressure Congress to take up the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell."

Choi responded by telling CNN that he isn't one of those so-called people, and explained that he thought such a statement was ridiculous because it neglected what he saw as the true role of the courts in a system of checks and balances on the government.

"When Congress enacts a law that's unconstitutional, whose job is it to strike it down? The court's," Choi said. "I understand the judicial branch is now the only branch of government that is filling its mandate to the Constitution."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/21/dan-choi-barack-obama_n_771634.html




October 21, 2010 CNN
http://MOXNews.com

[ooglymoogly]

1. Dan, I have supported everything you have done

and admire you for doing it; and have been wishing the best for you. But denigrating JFK with pug talking points and making unfounded and untrue claims against him, will lose you far more support than it will gain for you.

[SusanaMontana41]

18. What he said about JFK was true. He reacted instead of acted.

LBJ passed civil rights legislation.

No family has sacrificed more for its country than the Kennedy family. I love the promise of JFK, his potential, what might have been.

But Dan Choi is correct. I wish he weren't, but he is.

[provis99]

19. JFK and his rotten brother Robert actively fought against civil rights leaders.

Robert in particular was notoriously collaborating with J. Edgar Hoover trying to out MLK, Jr. as a communist. JFK talked a lot of blather about civil rights, but didn't do a damned thing. Eisenhower did more for civil rights than JFK did.

[Tarheel_Dem]

2. As if he voted for him the first time. Pfffft.....

:eyes:

[savalez]

3. If all goes as planned DADT will be repealed...

by the time BO is up for re-election. So maybe Choi will have a change of heart.

[herbm]

4. But he'll vote for Palin or one of that ilk. Or is he going to do the practical equivelent: vote for

Nader? I certainly understand his frustration and powerlessness. But his conclusion is wrong.

[TheEuclideanOne]

20. Probably won't vote

I voted for Obama in the last election and was so thrilled for the first time in my life to not have to vote for the lesser of 2 evils. That window is closed now. He may be symptomatic, although I hope not, of a big chunk of the country that may stay home on election day. The Democrats DO NOT deserve the votes and the Republicans are batshit crazy. If any democrat does get elected, they can not thank themselves, they can thank a Republican.

[Jeneral2885]

5. Good luck voting for a republican then

You may not evenget to serve as a private

[herbm]

13. So then he should vote for Obama. I know I am.

[lamp_shade]

6. Be careful, Dan. You appear to be a little too full of yourself and I'm afraid "we" may have

contributed to this. You need to back off a little.

[MNBrewer]

7. I respect his choice

He has every right to feel betrayed by Obama and his Administration.

The idea that "It is a law, and we are a nation of laws. It was passed by Congress and so we are looking for Congress to repeal it," is just so wrong. Why do we have courts, if not to remedy unconstitutional laws by striking them down.

[dotymed]

8. Ya Know, FUCK POLITICS.

If you take care of The PEOPLE, they will take care of you.

[cpwm17]

9. Good for Dan Choi

It's good to see someone stand up for their own rights. Unfortunately President Obama is fighting against Dan's rights and doesn't deserve Dan's vote.

I saw someone the other day say they wouldn't vote for Obama because their administration would still enforce federal laws against marijuana in California. Different people have their own issues that a president can't cross. For me marijuana isn't important enough.

For me it was Obama's mass murder against brown people (in Pakistan: http://chris-floyd.com/articles/1-latest-news/2035-obamas-finest-hour-killing-innocent-people-for-qmade-up-crapq.html) in their own county and homes shortly after Obama took office. Strangely, for most people this isn't enough.

There are numerous reasons to not vote for President Obama, and very few reasons to vote for him. The best argument dedicated Democrats can come up with to vote for Obama is a threat: any Republican would be worse. It's kind of like Christianity: believe in our stupid religion or you will go to hell. I don't care for threats.

I don't want to vote for a right-winger that gives well-worded, but emotionally detached speeches just because he has a "D" by his name. Maybe I'll just skip voting for president and just vote on the other issues. I'll vote for someone else in the primaries.

[AlbertCat]

10. It's good to see someone stand up for their own rights.

Yeah! Because deciding your vote on a SINGLE issue is always a good idea!

:sarcasm:


Cheesus!!! :eyes:

[NorthCarolina]

11. Civil rights is a pretty important issue though. eom

[MNBrewer]

12. Who are you to criticize?

You obviously have no skin in that game. His LIFE is the single issue he's voting on.... meanwhile you get all drippy with sarcasm. Disgusting.

[frylock]

14. those SINGLE issues are starting to stack up like cordwood

[ramapo]

16. Life sucks and then you have to vote

Until the people rise up and change the system we have two choices when voting for President. One is always worse than the other. The DADT thing is infuriating but if repeal had passed in the Senate then Obama would have signed it. How is it his fault the the gutless Senate did not pass it?

It is not too smart to help Republicans regain power by working against Obama. That is the harsh reality of life in the United States today.

Meanwhile he is obliged to uphold the law no matter how distasteful. Set precedent by reneging on that obligation and it is just one more nail in the coffin. Obama is not fighting against Dan's rights. He is doing his job to uphold the laws of the United States.

[struggle4progress]

15. Let's see. DADT passed the House. We had the votes to pass it in the Senate, but all the Rs + two Ds

voted against cloture, so it didn't come to a vote in the Senate. The Administration is in the middle of a review of military regs, to see what regs ought to be changed so DADT repeal would unambiguously have the desired result

Meanwhile, Choi is babbling "the judicial branch is now the only branch of government that is filling its mandate to the Constitution." Choi appears not to realize that conservatives have have the White House for about 2/3 of the last 40 years and that their judicial appointments therefore are spread heavily across the Federal Bench, as well as dominating the Supreme Court. It's idiotic to attempt to resolve this matter in the Courts, if we don't have to, because in the end our side is very likely to lose there bigtime

[Hell Hath No Fury]

17. As a woman, I refuse to vote for --

anti-choice politicins, even if they have a "D" after their name. I have no intention of helping a politician stab me in the back. :shrug: I don't blame Lt. Choi in the least.

[Thornleylv]

21. go vote for the GOP just don't

tell us your crap

[Thornleylv]

22. Bush never ever spoke the word "AIDS"

ever. lets go back to that