Obama gives green light to child molesters
Porkasauras Bill
president. Now he must stay good on his word !! He calls himself a
christian ? Would someone kill the bastard !!
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Same-sex partners to get fed benefits
PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer Philip Elliott, Associated
Press Writer – 1 hr 22 mins ago
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama, under growing criticism for not
seeking to end the ban on openly gay men and women in the military,
is
extending benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. Obama
plans to announce his decision on Wednesday in the Oval Office, a
White House official said Tuesday. The official spoke on the
condition
of anonymity because the president hadn't yet signed the presidential
memorandum.
The official said Obama would release more details on Wednesday.
The decision is a political nod to a reliably Democratic voting bloc
that in recent weeks has grown frustrated with the White House's slow
movement on their priorities.
Several powerful gay fundraisers withdrew their support from a June
25
Democratic National Committee event where Vice President Joe Biden is
expected to speak. Their exit came in response to a June 12 Justice
Department brief that defended the Defense of Marriage Act, a prime
target for gay and lesbian criticism. Justice lawyers argued that the
law allowed states to reject marriages performed in other states or
countries that defy their own standards.
The legal arguments — including citing incest and sex with minors —
sparked rebellion among gay and lesbian activists who had been
largely
biting their tongues since Obama won election. They had objected to
the Rev. Rick Warren's invitation to participate in the inauguration
despite his support for repealing gay marriage in California.
Their January protest won the invitation of Episcopal Bishop V. Gene
Robinson, whose consecration as the first openly gay bishop divided
and almost split his denomination.
Gays and lesbians later fretted as the White House declined to
intervene in the cases of enlisted military members facing courts
martial for defying the Clinton-era "don't ask, don't tell" policies.
White House officials say they want Congress to repeal the policy as
part of a "lasting and durable" solution, instead of intervening on
individual cases.
"The president agreed that ... the policy wasn't working for our
national interests, that he committed to change that policy, that
he's
working with the secretary of defense and the joint chiefs on making
that happen," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said last month.
In the meantime, the administration has tried to make small, quiet
moves to extend benefits to gays and lesbians. The State Department
has promised to give partners of gay and lesbian diplomats many
benefits, such as diplomatic passports and language training.
But without a specific change in the Federal Employees' Health
Benefits Program, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's
promises
left out financial benefits such as pensions. Obama's move could make
that shift.
Gay and lesbian activists had expected Obama to take action some time
in June, which is gay pride month.
John Berry, the highest-ranking gay official in the administration
and
the de facto human resources chief for the administration, told a gay
rally last weekend that Obama planned to take action on benefits
soon.
Berry, who heads the Office of Personnel and Management, has
repeatedly told reporters that he expected the White House to turn to
legislation to give domestic partners access to federal health and
retirement plans.
But Obama so far has sent only one piece of legislation to the Hill —
a pay-as-you-go measure that is part of his wooing of fiscally
conservative Democrats.
Instead, Obama will use his signature instead of legislation to
achieve the benefits parity sought by same-sex couples.