DADT: to Repeal or not to Repeal? That is the question.

The Don't Ask Don't Tell policy has been controversial ever since it was enacted almost seventeen years ago. There have been polls and studies released lately pertaining to the repeal of DADT. It is important to note the effects of wording bias. For example, the results of the poll change depending on whether the words "gay" or "homosexual" are used. Needless to say, the polls generally show the repeal as favorable to most Democrats and to some, though not nearly as many, Republicans.

The members of the Republican Party generally favor the policy as it is in place now, at least until the war is over. John McCain is leading the way in the argument for maintaining the status quo. He is open to discussion about the policy but feels strongly that there should be no major changes to the military while there is a war going on.

Party loyalty among voters is extremely high in American culture. However, loyalty to a party is less prevalent among already elected officials. They are generally more concerned with pleasing their constituents (perhaps to win re-election) than pleasing party elites. This is the case with Senator Scott Brown. Brown recently released his opinion on DADT and, surprisingly to some, it does not align with the mainstream Republican Party. The people of Massachusetts tend to be liberal and supportive of the repeal of DADT. Brown mirrors his constituents, at least when it comes to DADT.

Brown's opinion on repealing DADT is also very important because he has an extensive background in military service. He knows what it means to serve the country and he, more than most other senators, can say from first-hand knowledge that repealing the policy would not be detrimental to the effectiveness of the military.

Healthcare politics take center stage

Patrick Chorpenning, Director of the Arizona Department of Veterans services, resigned yesterday amidst criticism over health and safety conditions at veteran nursing homes in Phoenix. Violations included "patients left in soiled undergarments and covered in bodily fluids leaking from medical devices."

Chorpenning's resignation comes on the heels of national scrutiny of the conditions at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington DC. Rooms at the facility were found to contain mold, cockroaches, and mice, and there were complaints of poor patient care. One soldier described his experience:

Wearing a black eye patch, Staff Sgt. John Daniel Shannon described how he was struck in the head by a round from an AK-47 in November 2004 during a firefight near Ramadi, causing a traumatic brain injury and the loss of an eye.

Within a week of the injury, he was released to outpatient treatment, Sergeant Shannon recounted.

Despite being extremely disoriented, he said, he was given a map and told to find his own way to his new residence on the hospital’s sprawling grounds. He wandered into a building and received directions.

He then waited several weeks wondering whether anyone would contact him about additional treatment, eventually calling people himself until he reached his case worker.

The spotlight on poor treatment has been a source of embarrassment for the military recently. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker said he was “extraordinarily angry and embarrassed” by the condition of Walter Reed facilities. Army officials have have said that extensive repairs are are underway.

The unfavorable attention has come at a bad time for the Bush administration as it faces public criticism over its war policy and as the Senate moves forward with an Iraq War Bill which includes the establishment of a troop withdrawal date.