Tim Pawlenty: Stopping Funding for Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Repeal a “Reasonable Step”

Tim Pawlenty (R-MN), former Minnesota governor and potential presidential contender, has already expressed his desire to bring back the military’s open service ban “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” but now he’s gone one step further telling a forum at an Iowa Christian high school on Monday that military leaders in combat units don’t support the repeal and that rescinding funds for the repeal is something he feels would be a “reasonable step.”

Watch the video courtesy of Think Progress below:

Pawlenty ignores several points with this stance. Here are just a few things he raises that perhaps should be explored:

First, the military is not a democracy, so this often banded about meme that the Pentagon repeal survey failed because not everyone agreed with the repeal or that it didn’t ask troops directly on whether the policy should be repealed or not is simply redundant after the fact that the working study found there would be little fallout from repealing the policy based on respondents’ answers to a whole range of questions concerning unit cohesion and open service.

Second, Pawlenty even admits that the survey showed a majority of respondents were positive or neutral about the repeal and, at around 70%, the number is considerably higher than a “slight majority” as Pawlenty mistakenly calls the figure. Further to this, the report found that 92% of those servicemembers who said they had served alongside a gay person also responded that they did not consider the gay servicemember’s presence to have created any problems for unit cohesion. More on the results of the study here.

Third, among those most staunchly opposed to the repeal was General James F. Amos, USMC, Commandant of the Marine Corps. Based on the survey, the Marines were among the most resistant to the change and Amos expressed these sentiments before Congress.

Since Obama signed the repeal legislation however, Amos has recorded a video saying, “I want to be clear to all Marines: We will step out smartly to faithfully implement this new law.” Later in the video he adds that he expects the Marines to behave with the professionalism synonymous with their service as the changes are made. You can watch that video here. Clearly, while Amos unequivocally may have opposed the repeal, he feels that now the decision has been made by military leaders and the Commander in Chief it is his duty to carry it forward and has said as much. The matter is closed for General Amos, as it is for others serving in the military—so what, then, is Pawlenty’s issue?

Fourth, he would waste legislative time to defund the measure when Congress, with several Republicans crossing party lines to support the repeal, already decided the issue.

Fifth, putting aside the huge waste of talent and resources the DADT policy imposed upon the military, the Government Accountability Office has estimated that the open service ban cost $193.3 million between 2004–2009. The price of arbitrary discrimination is high but Pawlenty seems willing to have the country keep on paying.

Last, the DADT policy has been ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge. This case is currently being appealed before the 9th Circuit, however the appellate court recently refused the Obama administration’s application to have the suit dismissed. While the court did not give a reason, one can certainly say that the constitutionality of the DADT policy remains in question and that, while the policy is still in effect until repealed sometime this year, the issue can not be ignored.

Pawlenty’s grandstanding over the repeal is in itself mostly toothless, however as a potential presidential nominee his transparent pandering to the far right should be a red flag.

Photo used under the Creative Commons Attribution License, with thanks to marcn.

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Martha E.

8:35PM PST on Feb 25, 2011

I don't have to read the article. If I ever see the name, Tim Pawlenty, I know that whatever idea he proposes, will be asinine.

February 25
send a green star

KS G.

4:15AM PST on Feb 10, 2011

Thanks for the article.

February 10
send a green star

Ronald E.

4:30PM PST on Feb 9, 2011

This dumb *ss is still around?

February 9
send a green star

Rosary G.

11:31AM PST on Feb 9, 2011

Gee, Pawlenty, living in the past much?

Barbara S.

11:28AM PST on Feb 9, 2011

So the new rip for the GOP is to work 2 weeks out of every 3... and cut off funding for important issues that benefit our military and the well being of Americans? Way to go, you self-righteous, homophobic, walk-street-catering, rich bastards... When you get rid of the entire middle class and kill off the working poor and deplete the military, what will you have left but each other? If you accomplish your wicked deeds, guess who will be keeping your country running: ALL OF YOU! (because the rest of us will be living under bridges until we die... and we won't have any military might, anymore!) But if that's what it takes for YOU to have to spend all of YOUR own money, just go right ahead. You'll get what you deserve.

William Y.

11:16AM PST on Feb 9, 2011

I still cannot see what the heck the point, of a person's sexual preference, has in his ability to do the job. I served with heterosexuals, homosexuals, bisexuals and probably transsexuals, and there was no difference, good & bad in all.
As a section chief, I was interested in production and proficiency and couldn't care less who Pvt Doe was having an affair with, as long as Pvt Doe did his/her job.

Sylvia B.

10:58AM PST on Feb 9, 2011

Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) should be "defunded" and give back every paycheck he received as a politician for being an incompetent fool on the public's dime.