The Politics of Barney

Rep. Frank (D-MA) at a reception for GLAAD on Thursday evening.

Following up on Thursday’s news, I look at “The Politics of Repeal” at Metro Weekly:

Calling the changes to the ”Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military policy a ”great improvement” that supportive members of Congress had ”been urging them to do,” Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) quickly framed that movement in terms of the lack of movement on the issue from the White House, saying on Thursday evening, ”They’re ducking.”

The mix of cautious optimism and a push for further movement from President Barack Obama was not that unusual of a response to the announcement by Defense Secretary Robert Gates that military enforcement of the ”Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” would be handled in a ”fairer and more appropriate manner.”

And, Rep. Frank, as usual, was not one to hold back:

Asked if repeal efforts would succeed this year, Rep. Frank said, ”I hope so. I think the President’s got to step up more. I’ve talked to both Sen. [Carl] Levin [D-Mich.] and Rep. Murphy, and we’re still trying to do that. It’s harder with the administration.”

Following up on what he previously referred to as the ”ambiguous” nature of the White House’s support for a repeal this year, Rep. Frank said, ”They’re ducking. Basically, yeah, they’re not being supportive, and they’re letting Gates be the spokesman, which is a great mistake.”

Read it all, including the White House’s response, at Metro Weekly.

More about Rep. Frank, turning 70 this year, at the Victory Fund’s GayPolitics.com.

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