White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs appeared on Meet the Press yesterday, defending the Obama administration's baffling strategy on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" which consists of insisting the law must go but then defending it in court at every turn.
MR. GREGORY: And yet, on that very day the president's Justice Department filed an appeal to halt a judge's ruling that would have struck down "don't ask, don't tell." So, if the president wants the law to go away, if he wants the ban to go away, why is he still supporting the law in the courts?
MR. GIBBS: Well, let's be clear, the president believes the law is discriminatory, unjust and, quite frankly, you have men and women who are willing to lay down their life for this country. They–those people ought to be able to serve. The law that was struck down that the president opposes, we, we've got a process. One, the House has passed repeal, and we hope the Senate takes up that repeal quickly. They didn't.
MR. GREGORY: But what if the Senate does? Is there faith in the Senate that's misplaced? What does the president do if the Senate doesn't act?
MR. GIBBS: Well, we have a process in place right now to work with the Pentagon for an orderly and disciplined transition from the law that we have now to an era that "don't ask, don't tell" doesn't exist. And I will say this, David, "don't ask, don't tell" will end under this president. The courts have decided, the legislature has, has–is beginning to decide, and the president is firmly in the place of removing "don't ask, don't tell."
And Gibbs dodges a question about whether the President believes DADT is unconstitutional:
MR. GREGORY: But does he believe it's unconstitutional?
MR. GIBBS: You know, David, he thinks it's discriminatory and it's unjust and most of all it harms our national security. It's…
MR. GREGORY: We know his position, though. But if you keep defending…
MR. GIBBS: …it's time for the law…
MR. GREGORY: …it in the courts, how does it end? You can pronounce it dead, but how does it end if you keep backing it in the courts?
MR. GIBBS: Yeah, well, it ends with a vote in Congress. It's a law, and the most durable solution is to repeal that law. That's what the president asked the House to do and they did, that's what the president–I think there's enough votes to do it in the Senate. But, again, we have to get through Republican filibuster. It harms our national security. It's discriminatory, it's time for it to end. And I will say this, David, again, this president will end "don't ask, don't tell," and I think the courts–you're seeing from the courts that their deciding that "don't ask, don't tell," quite frankly, is–has–it's time for it to end, and that time is coming very soon.
Watch the clip, AFTER THE JUMP…