Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to DADT Policy

The Supreme Court has turned down a challenge to the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which prohibits openly gay service in the military:

Fox News reports, "Supreme Court Turns Down Challenge to 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'":

The Supreme Court on Monday turned down a challenge to the Pentagon policy forbidding gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, granting a request by the Obama administration.

The court said it will not hear an appeal from former Army Capt. James Pietrangelo II, who was dismissed under the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

The federal appeals court in Boston earlier threw out a lawsuit filed by Pietrangelo and 11 other veterans. He was the only member of that group who asked the high court to rule that the Clinton-era policy is unconstitutional.

In court papers, the administration said the appeals court ruled correctly in this case when it found that "don't ask, don't tell" is "rationally related to the government's legitimate interest in military discipline and cohesion."

During last year's campaign, President Barack Obama indicated he supported the eventual repeal of the policy, but he has made no specific move to do so since taking office in January.

Meanwhile, the White House has said it won't stop gays and lesbians from being dismissed from the military.

You know, it's not public opinion that's preventing a repeal of DADT.

Gallup had an interesting piece on this last week, "Conservatives Shift in Favor of Openly Gay Service Members."

I wrote on DADT a couple of weeks ago, "Obama's Stunning Failure on Gays in the Military."

What's interesting to me is not so much the civil rights of openly gay service (I think the policy should be repealed), but this administration's spineless incoherence on gay issues. As noted previously, respected milbloggers don't care much about Don't Ask, Dont' Tell (see Greyhawk at Mudville Gazette and Uncle Jimbo at Blackfive).

But I have no regrets, actually, over the schadenfreude in seeing the response of gay radicals on the Court's ruling. See for example, Pam Spaulding, where she throws up her hands:

Honest to god, it's embarrassing at this point. Anyone who thinks DADT is going to be harder to repeal than passing ENDA is smoking something, IMHO. I'm not saying one is more important than the other, mind you, just that the fundievangelical machine has no one relevant left to make a case on DADT. Who are they going to have on the other side -- the "professional Christian" set, fossil retired military officers and...Elaine Donnelly?

On the other hand, the right has been working hard to bring the bathroom debate front and center with ENDA and that will be a PR battle that we have to be ready for. If the White House and Congress is so gun shy on DADT, I don't believe that they will grow a spine to help us sell a fully inclusive ENDA when the bathroom hysteria sh*t hits the fan if we don't lay enough groundwork and political cover for them, sorry to say. What do you think?

The "professional Christian" set? "Fossil retired military officers"? And ... "Elaine Donnelly"?

Hmm ... must be part of the "evil Christofascist" cabal that's taking over the country!

Oh, actually, here's something on Elaine Donnelly: "Elaine Donnelly Steps Up Crusade Against Gays in the Military." Interesting. Donnelly's bio at the Center for Military Readiness is here.

I'll be looking into this issue a bit more. I'm all for equal rights for homosexual Americans, but as I've noted many times, gay marriage is not a civil right. Open service for gay Americans is important, but relaxation of DADT, unfortunately, may give a boost to the program of gay licentiousness on the far left.

More later ...