Will Senator Jim Webb Betray LGBT Citizens?

Yours truly is now officially the GLBT Liaison for the Hampton Democratic City Committee. I applaud the Committee's desire to connect with the LGBT community, but I cannot help but wonder whether or not some of the federal elected officials are going to like the feed back from their staff who attended the mixer held at the Crowne Point Plaza Hotel in downtown Hampton this evening. Those who most need to hear the message that the LGBT community is less than happy with President Obama and Congressional Democrats are (1) Senator Jim Webb who may yet throw LGBT citizens under the bus, (2) Congressman Glenn Nye who could suffer a backlash from disgusted LGBT Virginians in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, and (3) Democratic Party of Virginia personnel who don't want to hear that more than Creigh Deeds' pathetic campaign contributed to last November's election debacle. The bottom line is that very little has been delivered upon out of the 2008 campaign promises both to LGBT voters, but also to progressives who wanted a public option included in health care reform and other instances where Obama has tried harder to please Republicans than those who elected him to office. If voters from the Democrat base stay home in November there will be no one to blame but the White House and Congressional Democrats. State party officials need to being asking these folks WTF are you doing? Trying to destroy the Democrat party base?

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Part of this phenomenon is underscored by reports (discussed below) that Republicans may be courting Jim Webb to block DADT repeal when it goes before the full Senate. Webb betrayed LGBT Americans when he voted against DADT repeal at the Armed Service Committee level. Unless someone severely slaps him and gives him a wake up call, I am very fearful that he may do it again in the full Senate vote. As for the lame excuse that implementation plans need to be worked out first before repeal is enacted, it's just that- a lame excuse. Moreover, as I said to Webb's staffer tonight, if the military brass cannot get on board, then replace them NOW. They seem to have forgotten that they report to the White House and Congress and not vice versa. As for Webb, nearly 80% of voters support repeal of DADT (including 56% of Republicans). Isn't it time for Mr. Webb to vote for what those who elected him want as opposed to satisfying his own prejudices? Here are some highlights from Keen News Service:

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Republicans are reportedly scouring for filibuster votes against the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal and are expected to focus their efforts on winning over Democrats Jim Webb of Virginia and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.
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And The Hill newspaper reported Monday that, in the alternative, some Republicans may try to amend the repeal language to require that—not just Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen but also—the chiefs of all branches of service certify the readiness of troops in order for repeal to take effect.
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What Republicans are hoping for now, suggests The Weekly Standard, is that Democrat Jim Webb of Virginia—who opposed repeal in Committee—will join a filibuster attempt. Their next best bet for a 41st vote, it said, would be Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas, who has said he would vote against repeal if a vote comes up before the Pentagon study is submitted.
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Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is not the only controversy brewing in the Defense authorization bill. There’s also a fight over whether to fund an alternate engine for the Air Force’s existing F-35 fighter jets. The House version of the Defense authorization bill includes the funding; the Senate version that passed committee does not. Both the Pentagon and President Obama say the alternate engine is not needed, and President Obama has vowed to veto any DOD authorization bill that includes it.