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Just finished the Air Force Tier 1 (for JAGs, Chaplains and Personnel) on implementation of the repeal of DADT. It was both better than I'd hoped and worse than I thought. First problem: "'Homosexual' is an offensive term and will not be used. 'Gay and Lesbian' are the appropriate terms." Whiskey. Tango. Fox. Colonel, USAFR

I think American voters would do better to think about the influence political leaders exert by their words and actions, instead of treating their speeches (not to mention their sound bites and 60-second spots) as evidence of anything but what they think we want to hear. This came to mind last week as I read the report about Sarah Palin's non-appearance at this year's biggest conservative non-event (or should that be biggest non-conservative, pretending-to-be-conservative event?). She released a statement intended to keep her distance from the individuals and organizations whose non-appearance was meant to convey disapproval of CPAC's trendy surrender...

Former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld, who served at the Pentagon under two Republican presidents, says the “time has come” time for gays and lesbians to serve openly in the US military. Two months after President Obama signed a law that will lead to the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Rumsfeld told ABC News Radio that the nation is ready for open service. “First of all, we know that gays and lesbians have been serving in the military for decades with honorable service,” Rumsfeld said. “We know that [repeal of a ban on gays serving openly] is an idea whose...

The Navy's Inspector General has ruled a junior officer suffered unfair retaliation by his commander after filing harassment charges last year for being nicknamed "fagmeister" and a slew of other anti-gay epithets. Ensign Steve Crowston filed a harassment claim in February 2010, alleging that Cmdr. Liam Bruen, along with other senior and junior officers, voted in August 2009 to give Crowston the military call sign "Romo's Bitch," a reference to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Crowston says other suggestions included: "Cowboy," "Gay Boy," "Fagmeister," "Cowgirl," "TO," "Terrell Owens" and "Redskins."

As our annual CPAC gathering kicks off today with the sponsorship of the gay Republican GoProud organization, it is important to understand something about socially liberal "conservatives".  They don't exist. Period. (O.K. there is Jeff Flake on DADT, but he is still 100% pro life). American conservatism is comprised of three indissoluble principles; social values, national defense, and classic economic liberalism.  A movement that includes those who categorically reject one of those ethos is not a big tent.  It is a circus.  That is because those who reject social values or national defense will indubitably reject fiscal conservatism as well. ...

Progressives have clearly identified a weakness in Tim Pawlenty's sales pitch: His status as the one 2012 candidate who wants to reinstate Don't Ask Don't Tell. The issue was raised by the American Family Association's Bryan Fischer, Pawlenty expanded on it in Washington, and he expanded on it again in Iowa, asked by a ThinkProgress blogger if he'd even cut off funding for implementation of DADT repeal. That's at 12:29 here. (see link for video) What's actually being discussed here? Fischer explained it in a column last week, pointing to the memo Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wrote about implementation....

There’s a dangerous meme making its way across the Internets: “Does Sarah Palin support gay rights?” thanks to her almost-Libertarian response to gay GOP group GOProud’s attendance at this weekend’s CPAC. The Alaska Dispatch, writing at Huffington Post, reports Palin “told the Christian Broadcasting Network that it was a ‘scheduling conflict’ that prevented her appearance, not GOProud’s presence at the convention. And she went one step further, telling CBN that conference attendees should not so quickly dismiss the opportunity to provide a full spectrum of conservatism. News website POLITICO reports Palin alluded to the controversy that GOProud’s inclusion at the...

The Virginia National Guard could still exclude gays from service once federal regulations repealing the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy are issued, but it would likely lose its lifeline of federal funding, according to an opinion issued by Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. The opinion, released Friday, came in response to a request by Del. William R. Janis, R-Henrico, and on the heels of House Bill 2474, submitted by Del. Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William, that would keep in force the current "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the Virginia National Guard. Cuccinelli issued another opinion Friday advising that two...

<p>RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia would have to establish and fully fund its own independent militia if it wanted to ban gays from its National Guard force, Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli says.</p> <p>Cuccinelli issued an advisory opinion earlier this week at the request of Del. Bill Janis, R-Henrico, who asked whether the legislature can order the Virginia National Guard to continue the"don't ask, don't tell" policy recently repealed by Congress.</p>

Today we issued the following news release—our way of cutting through the groupthink taking hold in the Pentagon these days. Today the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel & Readiness, Clifford Stanley, and Marine Gen. James Cartwright, the Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, conducted a media briefing on initial plans to implement “the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ ” In truth, the Pentagon is rushing to begin training for an unprecedented LGBT Law on our military, and to do so before the House Armed Services Committee has a single hearing on the Defense Department review done last year....

Using lectures, videos and PowerPoint slides, the Pentagon plans to start training commanders, chaplains and troops next month on how to adjust to a military that will allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in uniform, a critical step in ending the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, officials said Friday. The new guidelines come as President Obama and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates vowed this week to lift the ban this year, a promise in line with the expectations of gay rights groups who are seeking a swift end to the policy. Each of the military services will be responsible...

Pentagon leaders preparing for a new culture of gays serving openly in the military are serving notice that discrimination will not be tolerated. Defense Secretary Robert Gates also directed his policy staff in a memorandum to move ahead carefully, but expeditiously, to end the 17-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" policy instituted during the Clinton administration. Officials said they will complete implementation plans for the new policy by next Friday and will commence training in February.

Obama flunky Bob Gates has just announced today the fast-tracking of the DADT repeal. You can bet your bottom dollar our warriors will be saddled with queer sensitivity training not to mention myraid lawsuits for "anti-gay" language or workplace hostility, etc etc. This is a National Nightmare that was pushed through the lame duck session. Yet where are our vaunted so-called conservative leaders? To my knowledge, only Congressman Duncan D. Hunter is trying desperately to delay this thing so we can have a shot at killing it in 2012. Where the HELL are the rest of the conservative congressman and...

Probe: Army ignored warnings over soldier Supervisors unwisely sent to Iraq an Army private later accused of spreading sensitive information to WikiLeaks, an investigation has concluded. WASHINGTON -- Investigators have concluded that Army commanders ignored advice not to send to Iraq an Army private who is now accused of downloading hundreds of thousands of sensitive reports and diplomatic cables that ended up on the WikiLeaks website in the largest single security breach in American history, McClatchy has learned. Pfc. Bradley Manning's direct supervisor warned that Manning had thrown chairs at colleagues and shouted at higher ranking soldiers in the year...

While much of America views Bradley Manning, the private first class who has been accused of leaking secret documents to WikiLeaks, as a traitor, he does have some defenders who consider him nothing less than a patriot. “He was trying to help the country,” said Kevin Zeese, a member of the steering committee of the Bradley Manning Support Network. Zeese tells the story of Manning as a loss of innocence tale. The story of Manning, he says, is about “a guy who believes in America,” enlists in the army, and gets to Iraq only to discover that the country has,...

ABC News' Devin Dwyer reports: One month after President Obama signed a repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," government accountants have finished tallying up how much the policy cost taxpayers during the 16 years it was in effect. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office said in a report released Thursday that each discharge of a gay or lesbian service member over the past six years alone cost $52,800, including administrative costs and costs to recruit and train a replacement....

11104513D HOUSE BILL NO. 2474 Offered January 21, 2011 A BILL to amend and reenact § 44-2 of the Code of Virginia, relating to eligibility for service in the Virginia National Guard. ---------- Patron-- Marshall, R.G. ---------- Committee Referral Pending ---------- Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: Legislative Findings 1. The Virginia National Guard is one of the organized Militias of the several states. State organized Militias were not created by the United States Constitution or the United States Congress, but pre-existed the ratification of the United States Constitution. 2. State organized militias are mentioned in the...

For months, the family values wing of the Republican Party has been protesting the inclusion of GOProud, a right-wing gay group, at this year's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). You won't hear any protesting, however, from conservative media mogul Andrew Breitbart. "We're going to have a big ol' gay party," he said on a radio show Wednesday. Breitbart says gays deserve a place within the Republican Party and he's been "offended" by efforts to exclude them. Therefore, he's throwing an 80's-themed gay party to welcome them on board. If this sounds like uncharacteristic behavior for Breitbart, his additional remarks should...

Public Policy Polling is showing Ron Paul with a surprising showing of strength in early polling for retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's Texas seat: The top two choices of Texas Republicans to be their Senate nominee next year are David Dewhurst...and Ron Paul. The duo is basically tied with 23% saying Dewhurst would be their top pick as the GOP candidate and 21% picking Paul. Maybe a couple years ago the thought of Senator Paul would have seemed ridiculous but after his son breezed through both the Republican primary and the general election in Kentucky last year it seems a...

Just when Democrats thought the thorny issue of repealing a ban on allowing gays to serve openly in the military had been resolved, a Republican lawmaker reopened the debate by calling for more military voices to have a say if, when and how the ban is lifted. Rep. Duncan Hunter of California is expected to introduce legislation Wednesday that would require the heads of the four military branches to OK the planned lifting of the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy in place since 1993. A bill passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in December calls for the...