DADT DRAMA, CHILD

First:

The Supreme Court has refused to vacate the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals indefinite stay of the overturn of DADT.  The Log Cabin Republicans filed the vacate request.  Last month, the LCR convinced District Court Judge Virginia Phillips to rule DADT as unconstitutional.

The SCOTUSblog reports:

Without noting a dissent, but with Justice Kagan not taking part, the Court denied a gay rights advocacy group’s plea to block the military from enforcing the 1993 law that bars gays and lesbians from serving openly in the services. The order means the policy will remain in effect at least through March, unless Congress repeals it — an unlikely prospect.

This is how the Servicemembers United organization is accepting the news:

It is unfortunate that an unconstitutional law that is causing substantial harm to military readiness and to tens of thousands of troops is allowed to remain in effect for even one more day," said Alexander Nicholson, Executive Director of Servicemembers United and the only named veteran plaintiff in the case. "This just underscores the need to continue to put pressure on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to allow the defense authorization bill to come back up and take its first procedural step before the Senate's Thanksgiving recess. Servicemembers United, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, Stonewall Democrats, and the Log Cabin Republicans have all strongly and consistently called on Senator Reid to do just that. It is now time for other organizations, as well as the White House, to publicly do the same."


Second:

The Department of Defense is mad that the DADT Survey was leaked. They want the head of the person responsible for the leak.

The Pentagon issued this presser:

Secretary Gates is very concerned and extremely disappointed that unnamed sources within the Department of Defense have selectively revealed aspects of the draft findings of the Comprehensive Review Working Group, presumably to shape perceptions of the report prior to its release. The Secretary launched this review in March to objectively ascertain the impact of potential repeal of the ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell’ law on military readiness, effectiveness, recruiting, retention, unit cohesion and families. He made it clear then and throughout this process that it was ‘critical that this effort be carried out in a professional, thorough and dispassionate manner.’ He has also stated clearly that ‘given the political dimension of this issue, it is equally critical that...every effort be made to shield our men and women in uniform and their families from those aspects of this debate.’

For nearly nine months the Working Group has operated in strict accordance to that mandate. Anonymous sources now risk undermining the integrity of this process. The Secretary strongly condemns the unauthorized release of information related to this report and has directed an investigation to establish who communicated with the Washington Post or any other news organization without authorization and in violation of Department policy and his specific instruction. The full report will be made public for all to review early next month. Until then, no one at the Pentagon will comment on its contents.

via DOD

Third:

The HRC wants the Pentagon to release the DADT survey and HURRY UP ALREADY!!! with it.

HRC president Joe Solmonese said:  "This report has been ten months in the making. It’s critical that the Pentagon immediately confirm what we have long known: there will be no problem with open service by courageous and well-qualified gay and lesbian service members......With the Senate soon turning its attention again to military policy, the results of the Pentagon review should be made available as soon as possible so undecided Senators are well-informed.”

via hrc