James Amos, Obama's Pick To Lead Marine Corps, Opposes Repealing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

[laughingliberal]

(AP) - President Barack Obama's choice to lead the Marine Corps says he doesn't think Congress should lift the ban on gay troops who want to serve openly.

Gen. James Amos' comment came hours before a Senate test vote on a defense policy bill that would repeal the 17-year-old law, known as "don't ask, don't tell." <snip>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/21/james-amos-obamas-pick-to_n_733134.html

I'm starting to doubt his commitment to fierce advocacy.

[scheming daemons]

1. Would Amos have a say in the matter?

Nope.

[Radical Activist]

2. He'll follow orders.

That's what people in the military do.

I'll bet you were glad to see that post the other day about Organizing for America getting people to call McCain about his opposition to repealing DADT.

[jaxx]

3. McCain just said he doesn't even want to let the vote for debate to pass.

This is pure repuke obstruction.

[COLGATE4]

4. Nasty, bitter vile old son of a bitch. Obama and all his

initiatives are going to fail (if McLame has anything to say about it). Can't believe there's a n----r in the White House instead of pre-ordained son and grandson of Admirals John McCain.

[laughingliberal]

5. I'd prefer he not be piping up about this just as we're trying to get the repeal through the Senate.

Bad form and if President Obama is truly in favor of repeal, his nominee needs a trip to the woodshed.

I hope you mean his (McCain's) opposition to repealing DADT. Gotta watch those Freudian slips. :hi:

[Radical Activist]

7. "If" he favors repeal?

Doesn't Obama's repeated statements in favor of repealing DADT make his position clear, as well as his recent email blast to supporters?

You wrote: "I'm starting to doubt..."

Just now starting, huh? That was a nice touch.

[laughingliberal]

12. "That was a nice touch."

Thank you. I thought so, too. :)

[Better Believe It]

16. Sorta. Kind of like his tepid support for the "public option".

"The whole thing is a political train wreck," said Richard Socarides, a former White House adviser on gay rights during the Clinton administration.

Socarides said President Barack Obama "badly miscalculated" the Pentagon's support for repeal, while Democrats made only a "token effort" to advance the bill.

"If it was a priority for the Democratic leadership, they would get a clean vote on this," he said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39286687/ns/politics-capitol_hill?GT1=43001

[Radical Activist]

19. Well they just got a clean vote

and it looks like everyone's time would have been better spent pressuring Senators instead of posting flimsy attacks against Obama.

[cliffordu]

40. We, ya, then there's that.....

Some cannot be bothered, as you know, O is the debbil incarnate.

[wmbrew0206]

25. Then the chairmen of the Senate Armed Services Committee shouldn't be asking about it.

[laughingliberal]

28. Perhaps a nominee who agrees with the President's stated position favoring repeal would have been

a better idea.

[wmbrew0206]

34. The reason everyone in the Marine Corps thought Obama pick Amos was because he could count

on him to be pro-repeal of DADT.

Obama broke the long standing tradition, and upset more than a few Marines, by picking the first pilot to be CMC. Picking a ground combat arms officer as CMC is a long standing tradition that every POTUS has respected. Obama broke with that tradition, when there were several very good ground officers to be CMC.

Now Obama has a double whammy with the Marines. Trying to repeal DADT against his military advisor's advice and breaking the tradition of having the CMC be a ground combat arms officer. That is not going to do much for his popularity as a C in C.

I can understanding doing one to get the other. However, since Tamer took a shot at DADT repeal, it looks like Obama would have been better off appointing Mattis or Dunford and keeping up the tradition.

[cliffordu]

6. SO FUCKING WHAT?

IIRC He takes his orders from the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of Defense and the Commander in chief.

I don't care what his opinion on anything is.

His fucking job is to command, train and lead his men and women.

He can be replaced with a memo.

Your posit is typical slander the prez at any cost, devoid of thought and actual meaning.

Sorry about the the lack of perfection in the military so far.

[Better Believe It]

9. You're ignoring the real issue. Why would a bigot be picked to head up the Marine Corps?

Insufficient background checks?

I assume you're opposed to bigots being named to any important government position.

[laughingliberal]

13. Yes, that was my point. nt

[cliffordu]

32. I knew dozens of racist asses, sexist pigs and homophobes in the

military.

I knew people of color, women and gay people in uniform too.

It all took a back seat when reality crept in with a rifle.

But you obviously don't know that.

If you think everyone in uniform needs to think like you do, join the fuck up and tell them about it.

I cannot stand homophobes and do not knowingly do business or count them among my friends,

I wouldn't appoint this fucking guy to anything if it were me, but it ain't.

Maybe he just kills better than anyone else out there.

So, there's that.

The old guard dies hard.

If this fight were easy it would have been done a long time ago,

in the mean time we'll just find another reason to call the Prez a homophobe.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

33. I doubt the service chiefs are chosen for their current combat skills

This guy may be exactly who I'd want with me in a foxhole but that doesn't really speak to the merit in appointing someone to an administrative executive position who you know to not believe in a difficult policy you want to implement.

That would go for any appointee anywhere.

[cliffordu]

35. Funny how congress has to do their job first on this issue....

And I'm not going to defend the President's appointments.

This fucking guy will follow orders. That's how they all roll.

The progress cannot come fast enough but using a homophobe marine to shit on the administration is disingenuous and kinda shallow.

[wmbrew0206]

36. At least learn something about the man before judging him on one statement.

Tamer is an extremely smart man and is the first pilot to be named CMC. He is also the first with broken time.

Tamer might want to repeal DADT personally, but professionally has to admit that repealing DADT in the next year or two is not what is best for his service. The CMC has to state what is best for his service in his opinion, not what is best for the country at large.

I am not surprised to see the future CMC say that he does not favor repealing DADT during the middle of a conflict, where the majority of his Marines have enough to worry about.

[Radical Activist]

8. "Amos said the Marine Corps would dutifully implement any changes to its personnel policy"

Any reason you didn't include that part?

[laughingliberal]

14. Yes, there is a reason. I've just watched several news stories in a row over this.

Everyone of them reported, during their stories on the attempt to repeal DADT, that President Obama's nominee to head up the Marine Corp has come out against repeal. That, obviously, is the lead part of the story on Amos. It's not news that a member of the military will dutifully' do what they're told. That's understood.

[Radical Activist]

18. Thanks for backing that up

from the overreaching claim you made in the OP. I'm glad to know it wasn't your intent to suggest that Obama was taking an action that would hurt repeal of DADT because that's the impression you gave.

[cliffordu]

37. Then why all the sniveling?

Because not everyone in government is as progressive as we are?

That's a teabag stance, my way or you're damned to all eternity as an enemy of some fucking thing or another....

:eyes:

[FiveGoodMen]

10. Of course.

Anyone surprised at this point is a fool.

[Radical Activist]

11. "Amos said the Marine Corps would dutifully implement any changes to its personnel policy"

Something in the article that the poster chose to leave out.

[laughingliberal]

15. It's not news that the military 'dutifully' does what it's told. nt

[Radical Activist]

17. Your OP clearly suggested otherwise.

You presented it as some sort of sign against repeal of DADT. I'm glad to see you admit that isn't the case.

[laughingliberal]

23. I don't know if it's the case or not, really. What I know is Obama's nominee shot his mouth off...

hours before a vote in the Senate and even admitted it was just his 'impression' the troops were not in favor of repeal-that he didn't really know what the actual review being conducted now has shown. I think the President needs to show some displeasure about this coming from one of his nominees.

Your carping about my leaving out the part where the nominee stated the military would 'dutifully' do as they were told was a little ridiculous. This goes right along with several other stories I won't be reporting today, like:

Water wet
Grass green
Sky blue except when it's gray....

[wmbrew0206]

27. Then the President as the leader of his party shouldn't have the Chairmen of the Armed Services

Committee conducting hearings on DADT before the vote.

The military will do what they are ordered to do. However, having Generals that toe the party line of the current office holder is never a good idea.

If you don't like his opinion, go serve on active duty for over 30 years and be appointed to the high position in your chosen service and then you can give your opinion about what is best for your service.

[laughingliberal]

29. Probably wasn't the best idea, no.

A better idea might be nominees who agree with the President's stated position in favor of repeal.

[wmbrew0206]

38. Tamer was thought to be the only one who would faovr it.

[Jax]

21. Yep. You nailed it.

Fools.

[Bigmack]

20. Doesn't make any difference what Amos says.....

CinC outranks CMC. End of story.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

22. An argument made often throughout this thread is horrible

"Doesn't matter... the guy just follows orders." "Obama outranks him..." "Who cares, Gates is for it" etc.

Okay... let's pick a segregationist to run the local school system. His personal views are irrelevant... he has to do what the Supreme Court says.

There is something to be said for appointing executives who support the policies you want them to be implementing in the organization you appoint them to head.

I hope I haven't given away the big management secret of the year.

[laughingliberal]

24. Exactly! Thank you! nt

[wmbrew0206]

39. Then what do you do when none of your options for appointment support your policies?

Not saying that any of the Marine GO's don't personally support DADT repeal. They may be personally for it, but think it is not a good policy decision right now. They may also not see it as a pressing matter at a time when there is a major conflict going on.

[Bluenorthwest]

26. Good thing someone made him important before this morning!

Just disgusting. Bigots in charge! Yippeee!

[laughingliberal]

30. My point exactly. nm

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

31. Kinda like appointing Wall Street insiders to "reform" Wall Street.

[Odin2005]

41. Another bigot supported by Obama.