Pentagon not ga ga for Lady Gaga
Washington (CNN) - The Pentagon is trying to be low-key about today's Lady Gaga rally in Maine. When asked if Pentagon officials would be watching Lady Gaga's rally to urge Senators to repeal "don't ask don't tell" a senior defense official said, "No, not really."
A second defense official says the event is clearly aimed at the political side of the argument, and isn't likely to sway the minds of military officials one way or another.
The top brass is already on record with their opinions: both Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Admiral Mike Mullen have said publicly they support repealing "don't ask don't tell," but the defense official says troops as a whole have wildly different opinions on the issue.
The military already has working groups in place, looking at how it would implement the change if it comes to that. The groups are looking at everything from housing to entitlements, and even personal displays of affection. The defense official insists the groups are not taking a position on whether "don't ask don't tell" should be repealed – their job is to look at how the military would deal with a situation if "don't ask don't tell" is no longer the law.
The military is also going over surveys that troops sent in, answering various questions on "don't ask don't tell." As of today, the working group has received nearly 38,000 additional surveys from family members: husbands and wives of service members, who were also sent a separate survey to gauge their feelings on a potential repeal of "don't ask don't tell," and how it would affect the military and military families.
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Lady Gaga in Maine. Just seems like a dichotomy.
Um...Dennis...she is a US Citizen. She's from NYC. Her name is Stephanie Germanotta.
I agree with you wholeheartedly Diane. It's rather embarrassing that the US, a supposedly first-rate country, is so backwards when it comes to human and equal rights when it should be a non-issue in the first place.
Why does CNN keep promoting Lada Gaga? Everyday, there is something on the website about her. Even though I support inclusion of gays and lesbians in the military, I really don't care what she has to say about it anymore than any other person on the planet.
I'm all for repealing DADT, but seeing Lady Gaga do a rally on it almost makes me want to change my mind.
I want to know how she's not a US citizen... Born in New York and raised there. I'm pretty sure she is. She's using her right of free speech. Just because someone doesn't have the same ideas as you doesn't mean they don't have the right to express them. Just let her be and do her thing. It's great to know that she's getting her fans into voting and being a part of the political process. And she supports "Rock The Vote" which is a campaign to get younger Americans to vote. I don't see a thing wrong with what she's doing.
Diane, Diane, Diane. Typical LIB thinking...Just because your neighbor decides to blow up his house doesn't make it the best thing for you. If ANY of you solid citizens ever served in the military you know that there is very little privacy. You sleep, eat, and shower together. Maybe you might like the attention of the same sex drawn closely to you but most sane people do not. Until you've been there, your opinion is totally worthless.
Dennis immediately concluded that Lady Gaga is not a US citizen as he's the type who thinks that anyone who does not side with right-wing politics is not American. Geez.
I think the military sometimes forgets that a civilian government decides policy and tells the military what to do.
Wow! Very impressed by Lady Gaga. I'm suddenly a pretty big fan of hers!
Question to an ELECTED Official :
Will you be watching a demonstration/protest by your fellow Amercians"?
Answer :
"No".
That about says it all for our elected officials.
@Bill In California
Get over it... I wont be there to look at your privates. Just because I'm attracted to men doesn't mean I want ALL men. Actually, I have many straight friends and have never wanted to see them naked. I'd rather have a guy that likes me back. Get your head out of your butt, that's for us gays.
BILL so you don't have opinions on women's rights issues, genocides in other countries, racism percieved or otherwise etc. Following your logic you shouldn't have an opinion here since you clearly aren't gay or Lady Gaga? Im just saying...
So here are all the republicans complaining that someone is speaking up for what they believe in and how no one should listen to her. Good thing she isn't Sarah Palin or she might start saying her 1st amendment rights are being taken away. Dumb republicans and your games.
Bill in California, don't flatter yourself so much. You are probably not worth checking out anyway
Bedtime for Obonzo,
You might do some research on Gaga before trying to color her as uneducated. I personally had little regard for her until I saw her do several interviews; she is well-spoken and obviously educated. She attended a good catholic school in New York and was also admitted (at 17!) to the Tisch School of the Arts in New York University.
Lady Gag Me needs to be involved with Congress like we need to invade some other Middle Eastern country.
1. Serving your country is not a right, it's a privilege... to a small percent of the population physically and mentally fit to be able to do it... and even smaller part that accepts the privilege.
2. you people who think it's just a switch you can turn off have no idea how the military works, therefore shouldn't voice your opinion, you look ignorant. We separate males and females when it comes to billeting, weather its basic/boot or your tech school/AIT all the way till your living in dorms/barracks when deployed in the operational military. the men and women are housed separately. to keep good order and discipline... reversing this law, throws a wrench in that system.
@ Bill in California. Shame on you but again, what you said is a result of the typical conservative right-wing mindset. If you folks would just stop continuously thinking of sex all the time and focus on the more important things, you would see the matter very differently. You're almost implying that we Americans are just maliciously sex-starved and thus straights and gays cannot co-exist, while the other NATO soldiers of any orientation can see past sexual orientation and concentrate on their jobs. This line of thinking makes Americans look like Neanderthals in the world context. Get your mind off the sex gutter and behind other people's private bedroom doors!
There you go, Bill. These civvies don't know what they're talking about. There's just not enough privacy in the military to let gays or blacks or women serve with the general population of straight white men...that would never work. The military can only be effective if it's homogeneous. Once you start putting people with different opinions in the same group, they stop following orders altogether.
@ Bedtime for Obonzo
regarding the comment about lady gaga's opinions not being validated because of her lack of an education... does that also hold true for 'journalists' sean hannity and glen beck both of whom lack any college education?
yes leave it alone – they already are working on this, stop your complaining
Funny; the Pentagon does care of Ms. Ga-Ga's views (in some respects i would agree) but the Pentagon should take note that Lady Ga-Ga has a lot of influence and her demographic goes far beyond 18 so if you dont want to take her seriously then you may want to consider those she influences when it comes time to vote. Lady Ga-Ga may not be the most ideolistic person but her opinion has some merit and validity and regardless of her antics on and off stage she is "here and now" so you may want to stand-up and take note.
Stefani Germanotta was born in New York City on March 28, 1986
@Phil I like the cut of your jib.