i heart progress

from cnn:

The Obama administration is expected to announce Wednesday that gay workers will be able to take medical leave to care for the sick or newborn children of their same-sex partners as part of the Family and Medical Leave Act, which generally allows those working for companies with 50 or more employees to take 12 unpaid weeks off to care for newborns or children with serious health issues.

soapbox- i'm on it.

So, I’d like to admit that I only watched about the last 30 or so minutes of the SOTU last night. In truth I had no doubt that Obama would deliver a great speech. He’s an incredible orator. I’m just at the point that I want actions...I want the change I was promised, not more eloquently spoken words.

I did catch his statement about working with Congress to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. He has made this statement numerous times and to be honest it kinda just ticked me off to hear it again. I am done with the verbal crumbs Obama throws to his GLBT constituents. I want ACTION.

I have discussed my disgust with DADT and this administration's lack of action with a few friends, both straight and gay. Although all agreed the policy should be ended a few (gay and straight) were okay with the lack of an actual timeline. “He is so busy, he has so much on his plate, he can't spare the political capital, he can’t change our nation overnight...”

Listen, I’m not an idiot. I realize all our problems cannot be solved in a matter of a day, a year or 4 years. But, you have to actually start crossing things off the list if you ever hope to accomplish anything. The things that can be tackled should be and DADT is something that could be stopped immediately. With one signature Mr. Obama could stop it. It is completely within his power- no Congress, no lobbyists, no votes- just a signature.

"... the President may suspend any provision of law relating to promotion, retirement, or separation applicable to any member of the armed forces who the President determines is essential to the national security of the United States" Title 10, United States Code, Section 12305(a)

So why doesn’t he?? Why in a time of war does my President do nothing but give lip service about this issue? Why is my President allowing the loss of soldiers at a time when we’re sending surge after surge to the Middle East? Why does my President not end this blatant discrimination?

Because he’s busy is not a valid excuse to me...to save political capital isn’t either. This isn't some outlandish idea- this is exactly how President Truman ended segregation in our armed forces.

Nothing annoyed me more than the way supporters of George W. Bush blindly followed him without criticism. I am now seeing this same kind of thoughtless defense of Obama with the same results to my blood pressure.

Let’s stop making excuses and demand action.

God Bless America

I want to first admit that I fell asleep way before the speech last night and had to watch it this morning. Sorry, but as CNN pointed out I'm no longer the "youth vote" and I was exhausted. I was very confident when I went to sleep that I would wake up to a new America and let me tell you, it felt great when I did.

I am overwhelmed today with feelings of pride and hope for my country. I know there is an incredibly long road ahead of us but I feel, for the first time in 8 years, that we now will have a leader whose intelligence and judgement we can trust to guide us, as a nation, to a brighter day.

I started to get angry this morning when I heard 3 people on NPR that were leaving the Chambliss event last night tell a reporter they felt like it was another 9/11. To compare the most devastating national tragedy we have experienced in our lifetime to Barack winning the Presidency is probably one of the most offensive things I have ever heard. I imagine that the surviving families of the victims of 9/11 would agree.

But, I decided to let the anger go. This is a beautiful day and an amazing time to be an American. I know we cannot heal the hate and division in this country overnight...but I am hopeful that in time we, as a nation, can work together for the greater good and I believe Barack Obama is the man who can help us do that.

"Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too."