Poll puts Obama ahead of Republicans to aid the recovery
Although statistics show the economy is on the mend, an increasing number of Americans are pessimistic about the economic outlook over the next year, according to a poll released today.
Click here to find out more!
The survey, conducted late last month, found that 62 percent of Americans--8 percentage points more than in April--say that the nation is “on the wrong track.” Forty percent think that the economy will get worse over the next year, up from 27 percent who held that view four months earlier.
This pessimism is eroding President Obama’s political standing, with his job approval rating dropping by 10 percentage points since last summer. Americans now are statistically split about whether they approve or disapprove the job that he is doing; 46 percent approve, while 49 percent disapprove.
Even so, more people still trust President Obama (42 percent) than Republicans in Congress (37 percent) to find economic solutions. The president’s edge, however, has narrowed dramatically in the past year from 21 percent in September 2009 to 7 percent in April and to 5 percent in the most recent results.
The Heartland Monitor Poll, sponsored by Allstate Corp. and the National Journal, sampled 1201 adults by phone between August 27 and 30 on their views about the economy. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percent.
In a year in which the Tea Party movement is pressing for less government intervention, sixty-one percent say that the government should play an active role in the economy, though many express skepticism that government can do it effectively. An even larger share, 68 percent back either government support for critical industries or protectionist measures against imports.
Facing economic uncertainty, fewer people trust that the country’s institutions will help. Asked to compare their perceptions today with those of a year ago, 58 percent of people are less confident in elected officials in Washington, 54 percent are less confident in corporations, and a similar majority has lost confidence in major banks. Leadership, according to 60 percent of Americans, should come from a joint effort between the government and business, rather than from one or the other.
What explains the disconnect between the economic recovery underway and the pessimism of many Americans? For many, it’s personal experience. Seven out of 10 of those surveyed said that they know someone--a close friend or family member--who has been laid off since the economy first began declining in 2007. Twenty-one percent say they themselves are looking for a job.
According to panelists discussing the poll, these personal perceptions do matter and will impact how the nation moves forward. The recession isn’t over until the public says it is, said Republican pollster Glen Bolger. “It’s really more about what the public perceives than what economists say,” he said.
The poll also found that many Americans say they are moving toward a more conservative approach to their personal finances
as a result of the recession
. For example, 8 in 10 Americans say that reducing their own debt and learning more about their finances are extremely or very important. Three quarters say the same about saving more. Only 34 percent say that spending more money is very or extremely important for economic recovery.
While most of the Heartland Monitor Poll’s trends appear negative, Tom Wilson, president and CEO of Allstate, said that the fact that Americans are so concerned about the economy in the first place and are looking for solutions is reason for optimism. “Americans get it. They understand the economy. They understand globalization. They understand that they have a responsibility as well,” he said. “That’s a good thing, as opposed to just drifting along and blaming it on somebody else.”
US News
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Americans Rate Bill Clinton the Best Presidential Manager of the Economy
Reagan places a close second and Obama barely edges George W. Bush
While he was not exactly known for being the most successful manager of his personal life while in office, Bill Clinton's gotten major props over the years for how he handled the economy during his two terms. The latest is from the Heartland Monitor Poll released today, in which middle-class Americans ranked him, among recent presidents, as the best manager of the economy. Ronald Reagan came in second, trailing Bubba 38 percent to 42 percent among respondents. President Obama barely beat out George W. Bush in the poll, though neither came anywhere near Reagan or Clinton. Here's the breakdown from the poll, which was sponsored by Allstate and the National Journal:
Thinking about the past few decades…to the best of your knowledge, which ONE of the following U.S. Presidents do you think did the best job of managing the economy?
Bill Clinton 42%
Ronald Reagan 38%
Barack Obama 6%
Lyndon Johnson 4%
George W. Bush 4%
Richard Nixon 2%
Don't Know 4%
Refused 1%
The poll was conducted among adults 18 years and older via telephone Aug. 27-30, 2010.
US News
While he was not exactly known for being the most successful manager of his personal life while in office, Bill Clinton's gotten major props over the years for how he handled the economy during his two terms. The latest is from the Heartland Monitor Poll released today, in which middle-class Americans ranked him, among recent presidents, as the best manager of the economy. Ronald Reagan came in second, trailing Bubba 38 percent to 42 percent among respondents. President Obama barely beat out George W. Bush in the poll, though neither came anywhere near Reagan or Clinton. Here's the breakdown from the poll, which was sponsored by Allstate and the National Journal:
Thinking about the past few decades…to the best of your knowledge, which ONE of the following U.S. Presidents do you think did the best job of managing the economy?
Bill Clinton 42%
Ronald Reagan 38%
Barack Obama 6%
Lyndon Johnson 4%
George W. Bush 4%
Richard Nixon 2%
Don't Know 4%
Refused 1%
The poll was conducted among adults 18 years and older via telephone Aug. 27-30, 2010.
US News
Obama: The U.S. Is Not at War with Islam
Washington - President Obama gave an emotional defense Friday of the right to practice Islam in the U.S. and build a controversial mosque near Ground Zero.
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"This country stands for the proposition that all men and women are created equal, that they have certain inalienable rights," Obama said, citing the Declaration of Independence. "One of those inalienable rights is to practice their religion freely.
"And what that means is that if you could build a church on a site, you could build a synagogue on a site, if you could build a Hindu temple on a site, then you should be able to build a mosque on the site."
"Now I recognize there are extraordinary sensibilities around 9/11," Obama added, but "we are not at war against Islam. We are at war against the terrorist organizations who have distorted Islam."
"We've got millions of Muslim-Americans, our fellow citizens, in this country," he reminded critics. "They're going to school with our kids. They're our neighbors. They're our friends. They're our coworkers.
"When we start acting as if their religion is somehow offensive, what are we saying to them?
Obama also noted that as commander-in-chief "I've got Muslims who are fighting in Afghanistan, in the uniform of the United States armed services. They're out there putting their lives on the line for us. And we've got to make sure that we are crystal clear for our sakes and their sakes: They are Americans, and we honor their service. And part of honoring their service is making sure that they understand that we don't differentiate between 'them' and 'us.' It's just 'us.'"
During the 77-minute press conference in the White House East Room, Obama did not address the attempt of Rev. Terry Jones, the flaky Florida minister who has threatened to burn Korans, to trade his agreement to back off on book-burning for a pledge to move the mosque to another location.
But Obama said he was acting to protect U.S. troops in giving the spotlight of Oval Office attention to Jones.
"We've got to take it seriously" when lives are at stake, said Obama, who reluctantly directed Defense Secretary Robert Gates to phone Rev. Terry Jones.
Obama said he recognized Jones' threat as a publicity stunt, "but I'm also commander-in-chief and we're seeing today riots in Kabul, riots in Afghanistan."
The clear message had to be sent that Jones was "putting our young men and women in harm's way" while providing "the best imaginable recruiting tool for Al Qaeda."
"My hope is that this individual prays on it and refrains from doing it," Obama said of the Koran-burning threat.
"With respect to the individual down in Florida," Obama said, referring to Rev. Terry Jones, "the idea that we would burn the sacred texts of somebody else's religion is contrary to what this country stands for."
Obama's news conference mostly focused on the economy with an eye toward the November elections, where Democrats look to lose dozens of seats in Congress.
Repeatedly wielding class-warfare rhetoric criticizing tax breaks for "millionaires and billionaires," Obama defended his intent to let Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy expire and urged a "determined minority" of Republicans to stop "playing games" by blocking a small-business bill most Americans support.
"I know there's an election coming up, but the American people didn't send us here to think about our jobs," Obama said. "They sent us here to think about their jobs."
He danced around attempts to get him to use the politically-charged word "stimulus" in describing his new $50 billion public works proposal for roads, railroads and airports. Obama preferred "stimulate."
"I have no problem trying to stimulate growth," he said, adding that he assumed Republicans also wanted economic growth.
"I will keep on trying to stimulate growth and jobs as long as I'm President of the United States," he vowed.
US News
Click here to find out more!
"This country stands for the proposition that all men and women are created equal, that they have certain inalienable rights," Obama said, citing the Declaration of Independence. "One of those inalienable rights is to practice their religion freely.
"And what that means is that if you could build a church on a site, you could build a synagogue on a site, if you could build a Hindu temple on a site, then you should be able to build a mosque on the site."
"Now I recognize there are extraordinary sensibilities around 9/11," Obama added, but "we are not at war against Islam. We are at war against the terrorist organizations who have distorted Islam."
"We've got millions of Muslim-Americans, our fellow citizens, in this country," he reminded critics. "They're going to school with our kids. They're our neighbors. They're our friends. They're our coworkers.
"When we start acting as if their religion is somehow offensive, what are we saying to them?
Obama also noted that as commander-in-chief "I've got Muslims who are fighting in Afghanistan, in the uniform of the United States armed services. They're out there putting their lives on the line for us. And we've got to make sure that we are crystal clear for our sakes and their sakes: They are Americans, and we honor their service. And part of honoring their service is making sure that they understand that we don't differentiate between 'them' and 'us.' It's just 'us.'"
During the 77-minute press conference in the White House East Room, Obama did not address the attempt of Rev. Terry Jones, the flaky Florida minister who has threatened to burn Korans, to trade his agreement to back off on book-burning for a pledge to move the mosque to another location.
But Obama said he was acting to protect U.S. troops in giving the spotlight of Oval Office attention to Jones.
"We've got to take it seriously" when lives are at stake, said Obama, who reluctantly directed Defense Secretary Robert Gates to phone Rev. Terry Jones.
Obama said he recognized Jones' threat as a publicity stunt, "but I'm also commander-in-chief and we're seeing today riots in Kabul, riots in Afghanistan."
The clear message had to be sent that Jones was "putting our young men and women in harm's way" while providing "the best imaginable recruiting tool for Al Qaeda."
"My hope is that this individual prays on it and refrains from doing it," Obama said of the Koran-burning threat.
"With respect to the individual down in Florida," Obama said, referring to Rev. Terry Jones, "the idea that we would burn the sacred texts of somebody else's religion is contrary to what this country stands for."
Obama's news conference mostly focused on the economy with an eye toward the November elections, where Democrats look to lose dozens of seats in Congress.
Repeatedly wielding class-warfare rhetoric criticizing tax breaks for "millionaires and billionaires," Obama defended his intent to let Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy expire and urged a "determined minority" of Republicans to stop "playing games" by blocking a small-business bill most Americans support.
"I know there's an election coming up, but the American people didn't send us here to think about our jobs," Obama said. "They sent us here to think about their jobs."
He danced around attempts to get him to use the politically-charged word "stimulus" in describing his new $50 billion public works proposal for roads, railroads and airports. Obama preferred "stimulate."
"I have no problem trying to stimulate growth," he said, adding that he assumed Republicans also wanted economic growth.
"I will keep on trying to stimulate growth and jobs as long as I'm President of the United States," he vowed.
US News
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy Says She’s Innocent
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy says she's "innocent" of pocketing possibly illegal donations from a tainted lobbyist because she had no clue "what was going on in the background."
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McCarthy (D-Nassau) got some $50,000 from principals and clients of the defunct PMA Group, some of whose clients received millions of taxpayer dollars sponsored by McCarthy. [See which industries donate the most to McCarthy.]
PMA's founder, Paul Magliocchetti, was recently indicted on charges of funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal donations to several Congress members who sponsored "earmarks" for PMA clients.
When the Daily News revealed McCarthy's PMA donations Tuesday, McCarthy had refused to comment. Tracked down at a housing press conference, McCarthy reluctantly responded to The News' query.
"All of us that had gotten fund-raising from them were found innocent, that we knew nothing about what was going on in the background," she said.
McCarthy justified steering taxpayer dollars to two of PMA's clients by saying, "What I do on a daily basis is ... bring earmarks back to my district."
Records show McCarthy received substantial campaign donations from PMA and its clients in the weeks around the request for funding. PMA was McCarthy's single largest contributor in both the 2006 and 2008 elections.
McCarthy said PMA, which once represented dozens of defense contractors, sent her so much money because, "I work with a lot of defense companies. Long Island has a lot of defense."
US News
Click here to find out more!
McCarthy (D-Nassau) got some $50,000 from principals and clients of the defunct PMA Group, some of whose clients received millions of taxpayer dollars sponsored by McCarthy. [See which industries donate the most to McCarthy.]
PMA's founder, Paul Magliocchetti, was recently indicted on charges of funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal donations to several Congress members who sponsored "earmarks" for PMA clients.
When the Daily News revealed McCarthy's PMA donations Tuesday, McCarthy had refused to comment. Tracked down at a housing press conference, McCarthy reluctantly responded to The News' query.
"All of us that had gotten fund-raising from them were found innocent, that we knew nothing about what was going on in the background," she said.
McCarthy justified steering taxpayer dollars to two of PMA's clients by saying, "What I do on a daily basis is ... bring earmarks back to my district."
Records show McCarthy received substantial campaign donations from PMA and its clients in the weeks around the request for funding. PMA was McCarthy's single largest contributor in both the 2006 and 2008 elections.
McCarthy said PMA, which once represented dozens of defense contractors, sent her so much money because, "I work with a lot of defense companies. Long Island has a lot of defense."
US News
Obama Says Rahm Emanuel Would Be ‘Terrific’ Chicago Mayor
Now that's a good endorsement.
President Barack Obama said his chief of staff would make a "terrific" Chicago mayor on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Thursday.
Click here to find out more!
But the president said Rahm Emanuel is currently busy at the White House and anticipates that Emanuel will wait until after Nov. 2 to make his decision.
"My expectation is he'd make a decision after these midterm elections," Obama said. "He knows that we've got a lot of work to do. But I think he'd be a terrific mayor."
Longtime Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley announced unexpectedly this week that he wouldn't run for a seventh term, leading to speculation that Emanuel, 50, might enter the race.
Emanuel—known for his hot temper — was born in the Windy City and has long expressed interest in running for mayor.
But even though Obama wants him to hold off until after Nov. 2, several political analysts told Politico that it may not be possible.
"He'd have to start putting together an organization immediately, Larry Bennett, a political science professor at DePaul told the website.
While the Chicago primary is on Feb. 22, candidates are required to file a petition with 12,500 signatures by Nov. 22.
And if Emanuel does file in time, a win is far from guaranteed – even with the president's blessing.
As many as 10 candidates could throw their hats into the ring, possibly including William Daley, the mayor's brother and former U.S. commerce secretary, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.
[See who donates the most money to Jackson Jr.]
"He's an opportunist," John McCarron, an urban affairs writer and adjunct professor at DePaul University in Chicago said of Emanuel. "But he's got his work cut out for him."
Jonathan Alter of Newsweek called Emanuel a "formidable" contender, pointing out that he was elected to the House in 2002 without previous experience in an elective office. But he said an official endorsement from Obama, a former Illinois senator, is not guaranteed either. The president, he said, would be caught in a "tight spot."
"Obama will feel loyal to Emanuel, whom he begged to leave the Congress in 2008 and come work for him amid the economic crisis," Alter said. "…The president owes him. But that doesn't mean he would necessarily wade into a Democratic primary and endorse him over other politicians he has also known for years."
US News
President Barack Obama said his chief of staff would make a "terrific" Chicago mayor on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Thursday.
Click here to find out more!
But the president said Rahm Emanuel is currently busy at the White House and anticipates that Emanuel will wait until after Nov. 2 to make his decision.
"My expectation is he'd make a decision after these midterm elections," Obama said. "He knows that we've got a lot of work to do. But I think he'd be a terrific mayor."
Longtime Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley announced unexpectedly this week that he wouldn't run for a seventh term, leading to speculation that Emanuel, 50, might enter the race.
Emanuel—known for his hot temper — was born in the Windy City and has long expressed interest in running for mayor.
But even though Obama wants him to hold off until after Nov. 2, several political analysts told Politico that it may not be possible.
"He'd have to start putting together an organization immediately, Larry Bennett, a political science professor at DePaul told the website.
While the Chicago primary is on Feb. 22, candidates are required to file a petition with 12,500 signatures by Nov. 22.
And if Emanuel does file in time, a win is far from guaranteed – even with the president's blessing.
As many as 10 candidates could throw their hats into the ring, possibly including William Daley, the mayor's brother and former U.S. commerce secretary, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.
[See who donates the most money to Jackson Jr.]
"He's an opportunist," John McCarron, an urban affairs writer and adjunct professor at DePaul University in Chicago said of Emanuel. "But he's got his work cut out for him."
Jonathan Alter of Newsweek called Emanuel a "formidable" contender, pointing out that he was elected to the House in 2002 without previous experience in an elective office. But he said an official endorsement from Obama, a former Illinois senator, is not guaranteed either. The president, he said, would be caught in a "tight spot."
"Obama will feel loyal to Emanuel, whom he begged to leave the Congress in 2008 and come work for him amid the economic crisis," Alter said. "…The president owes him. But that doesn't mean he would necessarily wade into a Democratic primary and endorse him over other politicians he has also known for years."
US News
Florida Reverend Calls Off ‘Burn a Koran Day’
The small-time Florida pastor who set the world on edge by threatening to burn Korans on 9/11 called off his twisted plan Thursday, claiming he had won a deal to move the mosque near Ground Zero in return.
Click here to find out more!
The Rev. Terry Jones later flip-flopped and said he might go ahead with the hateful plan after the mosque's backers said there was no such deal.
"Given what we are now hearing, we are forced to rethink our decision," Jones said. "So, as of right now, we are not canceling the event, but we are suspending it."
In the end, Jones said only that he planned to travel to New York and hoped to meet with the leaders of the planned Islamic center.
He claimed to have cut a deal over the mosque with a Florida Islamic leader and expected "the imam in New York to back up one of his own men."
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, founder of the mosque project, said he never spoke to Jones or Imam Muhammad Musri of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, the supposed go-between.
"We are not going to toy with our religion or any other," Rauf said. "Nor are we here to barter. We are here to extend our hand to build peace and harmony."
Musri later said Jones "stretched my words" when he claimed a deal had been cut to move the mosque. The imam said Jones only put the Koran-burning on hold because of pressure from the military.
He said Jones canceled the stunt because he feared it might endanger American troops, not because of any deal on the mosque.
After a confusing day of twists and turns, officials from the White House to the Pentagon to Muslim capitals were left to watch anxiously to see if Jones would jump-start his harebrained plan, which threatened to unleash anti-American bloodshed.
President Obama urged him to call it off, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates took the extraordinary step of phoning Jones personally, appealing to him not to put U.S. soldiers in danger by staging "International Burn a Koran Day."
Official fears that desecration of the Muslim holy books by the once-obscure backwoods preacher could ignite a wave of killings are well-grounded.
In 2005, a false report that U.S. guards at the Guantanamo terror camp had flushed a Koran down a toilet set off riots in the Mideast. At least 17 people were killed.
Angry marchers in Afghanistan and Pakistan burned U.S. flags yesterday over the threatened burning of the Korans.
The State Department warned Americans overseas to be on guard. Interpol told cops worldwide to brace for trouble. U.S. embassies buckled up. The Taliban pumped out leaflets saying, in effect, we told you so.
Obama warned that Jones' planned stunt would be a "recruiting bonanza" for Al Qaeda, demonstrating U.S. contempt for all Muslims hold sacred.
Jones had been holed up in his Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., ignoring the pleas of Obama, the Vatican and world leaders to call off his vulgar stunt, when he emerged in the late afternoon with a dramatic announcement.
Claiming he had received a "sign from God," Jones said he wouldn't be burning any holy books after all.
The Pentagon confirmed that Gates had called, but not much else of what Jones had to say was confirmable.
"We have agreed to cancel our event," Jones said. "We are, of course, now against any other group burning Korans. We would right now ask no one to burn Korans. We are absolutely strong on that."
"It is not the time to do it," Jones said, before veering off into his claims that his threats had caused the New York mosque developers to blink.
"The American people do not want the mosque there, and of course, Muslims do not want us to burn the Koran," said Jones. "The imam [Rauf] has agreed to move the mosque," he said.
US News
Click here to find out more!
The Rev. Terry Jones later flip-flopped and said he might go ahead with the hateful plan after the mosque's backers said there was no such deal.
"Given what we are now hearing, we are forced to rethink our decision," Jones said. "So, as of right now, we are not canceling the event, but we are suspending it."
In the end, Jones said only that he planned to travel to New York and hoped to meet with the leaders of the planned Islamic center.
He claimed to have cut a deal over the mosque with a Florida Islamic leader and expected "the imam in New York to back up one of his own men."
Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, founder of the mosque project, said he never spoke to Jones or Imam Muhammad Musri of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, the supposed go-between.
"We are not going to toy with our religion or any other," Rauf said. "Nor are we here to barter. We are here to extend our hand to build peace and harmony."
Musri later said Jones "stretched my words" when he claimed a deal had been cut to move the mosque. The imam said Jones only put the Koran-burning on hold because of pressure from the military.
He said Jones canceled the stunt because he feared it might endanger American troops, not because of any deal on the mosque.
After a confusing day of twists and turns, officials from the White House to the Pentagon to Muslim capitals were left to watch anxiously to see if Jones would jump-start his harebrained plan, which threatened to unleash anti-American bloodshed.
President Obama urged him to call it off, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates took the extraordinary step of phoning Jones personally, appealing to him not to put U.S. soldiers in danger by staging "International Burn a Koran Day."
Official fears that desecration of the Muslim holy books by the once-obscure backwoods preacher could ignite a wave of killings are well-grounded.
In 2005, a false report that U.S. guards at the Guantanamo terror camp had flushed a Koran down a toilet set off riots in the Mideast. At least 17 people were killed.
Angry marchers in Afghanistan and Pakistan burned U.S. flags yesterday over the threatened burning of the Korans.
The State Department warned Americans overseas to be on guard. Interpol told cops worldwide to brace for trouble. U.S. embassies buckled up. The Taliban pumped out leaflets saying, in effect, we told you so.
Obama warned that Jones' planned stunt would be a "recruiting bonanza" for Al Qaeda, demonstrating U.S. contempt for all Muslims hold sacred.
Jones had been holed up in his Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Fla., ignoring the pleas of Obama, the Vatican and world leaders to call off his vulgar stunt, when he emerged in the late afternoon with a dramatic announcement.
Claiming he had received a "sign from God," Jones said he wouldn't be burning any holy books after all.
The Pentagon confirmed that Gates had called, but not much else of what Jones had to say was confirmable.
"We have agreed to cancel our event," Jones said. "We are, of course, now against any other group burning Korans. We would right now ask no one to burn Korans. We are absolutely strong on that."
"It is not the time to do it," Jones said, before veering off into his claims that his threats had caused the New York mosque developers to blink.
"The American people do not want the mosque there, and of course, Muslims do not want us to burn the Koran," said Jones. "The imam [Rauf] has agreed to move the mosque," he said.
US News
California Judge to Stop 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy
LOS ANGELES — A federal judge said she will issue an order to halt the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, after she declared the ban on openly gay service members unconstitutional.
Click here to find out more!
U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips ruled Thursday that the prohibition on openly gay military service members was unconstitutional because it violates the First and Fifth Amendment rights of gays and lesbians.
The policy doesn't help military readiness and instead has a "direct and deleterious effect" on the armed services by hurting recruitment efforts during wartime and requiring the discharge of service members who have critical skills and training, she said.
The Log Cabin Republicans sued the federal government
in 2004 to stop the policy. Phillips will draft the injunction with input from the group within a week, and the federal government will have a week to respond.
Government lawyers said the judge lacked the authority to issue a nationwide injunction.
The U.S. Department of Justice can appeal the ruling but the government has not announced what it intends to do. After-hours e-mails and calls requesting comment from government attorney Paul G. Freeborne and from the Pentagon were not immediately returned Thursday evening.
The case was the biggest legal test of the law in recent years and came amid promises by President Barack Obama that he will work to repeal the policy.
"This decision will change the lives of many individuals who only wanted to serve their country bravely," said the group's attorney, Dan Woods.
The Log Cabin Republicans said more than 13,500 service members have been fired since 1994.
Woods had argued during the nonjury trial that the policy violates gay military members' rights to free speech, open association and right to due process as guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment.
He said the ban damages the military by forcing it to reject talented people as the country struggles to find recruits in the midst of a war. He also used Obama's remarks and those of top military commanders as evidence that the policy should be overturned.
The case is unique because it wasn't based on one individual's complaint about a discharge. Instead it made a broad, sweeping attack on the policy.
Government attorneys presented only the policy's legislative history in their defense and no witnesses or other evidence.
Freeborne had argued the policy debate was political and that the issue should be decided by Congress rather than in court.
In his closing arguments he said the plaintiffs were trying to force a federal court to overstep its bounds and halt the policy as it is being debated by federal lawmakers.
The U.S. House voted in May to repeal the policy, and the Senate is expected to address the issue this year.
The case moved forward slowly at first because it was assigned to a judge who had health problems and later retired, Woods said. In late 2008, it was reassigned to Phillips and went to trial in July.
The ruling is the second major court ruling this summer in which a California judge handed a major victory to gay rights advocates.
In August, U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker overturned Proposition 8, the ballot proposition that banned gay marriage in California. His ruling is on hold pending appeal.
Six military officers who were discharged under the policy testified during the trial. A decorated Air Force officer testified that he was let go after his peers snooped through his personal e-mail in Iraq.
The officers who participated in the trial were "reacting emotionally because they're so proud that they were able to play a part in making this happen," Woods said after the ruling.
"It'll be an interesting decision for our president to decide whether to appeal this case. He's said that 'don't ask, don't tell' weakens national security, and now it's been declared unconstitutional," he said. "If he does appeal, we're going to fight like heck."
The "don't ask, don't tell" policy prohibits the military from asking about the sexual orientation of service members. Under the 1993 policy, service men and women who acknowledge being gay or are discovered engaging in homosexual activity, even in the privacy of their own homes off base, are subject to discharge.
US News
Click here to find out more!
U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips ruled Thursday that the prohibition on openly gay military service members was unconstitutional because it violates the First and Fifth Amendment rights of gays and lesbians.
The policy doesn't help military readiness and instead has a "direct and deleterious effect" on the armed services by hurting recruitment efforts during wartime and requiring the discharge of service members who have critical skills and training, she said.
The Log Cabin Republicans sued the federal government
in 2004 to stop the policy. Phillips will draft the injunction with input from the group within a week, and the federal government will have a week to respond.
Government lawyers said the judge lacked the authority to issue a nationwide injunction.
The U.S. Department of Justice can appeal the ruling but the government has not announced what it intends to do. After-hours e-mails and calls requesting comment from government attorney Paul G. Freeborne and from the Pentagon were not immediately returned Thursday evening.
The case was the biggest legal test of the law in recent years and came amid promises by President Barack Obama that he will work to repeal the policy.
"This decision will change the lives of many individuals who only wanted to serve their country bravely," said the group's attorney, Dan Woods.
The Log Cabin Republicans said more than 13,500 service members have been fired since 1994.
Woods had argued during the nonjury trial that the policy violates gay military members' rights to free speech, open association and right to due process as guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment.
He said the ban damages the military by forcing it to reject talented people as the country struggles to find recruits in the midst of a war. He also used Obama's remarks and those of top military commanders as evidence that the policy should be overturned.
The case is unique because it wasn't based on one individual's complaint about a discharge. Instead it made a broad, sweeping attack on the policy.
Government attorneys presented only the policy's legislative history in their defense and no witnesses or other evidence.
Freeborne had argued the policy debate was political and that the issue should be decided by Congress rather than in court.
In his closing arguments he said the plaintiffs were trying to force a federal court to overstep its bounds and halt the policy as it is being debated by federal lawmakers.
The U.S. House voted in May to repeal the policy, and the Senate is expected to address the issue this year.
The case moved forward slowly at first because it was assigned to a judge who had health problems and later retired, Woods said. In late 2008, it was reassigned to Phillips and went to trial in July.
The ruling is the second major court ruling this summer in which a California judge handed a major victory to gay rights advocates.
In August, U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker overturned Proposition 8, the ballot proposition that banned gay marriage in California. His ruling is on hold pending appeal.
Six military officers who were discharged under the policy testified during the trial. A decorated Air Force officer testified that he was let go after his peers snooped through his personal e-mail in Iraq.
The officers who participated in the trial were "reacting emotionally because they're so proud that they were able to play a part in making this happen," Woods said after the ruling.
"It'll be an interesting decision for our president to decide whether to appeal this case. He's said that 'don't ask, don't tell' weakens national security, and now it's been declared unconstitutional," he said. "If he does appeal, we're going to fight like heck."
The "don't ask, don't tell" policy prohibits the military from asking about the sexual orientation of service members. Under the 1993 policy, service men and women who acknowledge being gay or are discovered engaging in homosexual activity, even in the privacy of their own homes off base, are subject to discharge.
US News
Scott Brown Showing a More Moderate Face
WASHINGTON — Sen. Scott Brown, once celebrated by tea partiers, has pulled the political equivalent of knocking over the china: He's displayed a moderate streak.
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A surge of tea party support helped catapult the upstart Brown into the late Sen. Edward Kennedy's seat in Democratic-dominated Massachusetts last January and made him an overnight political sensation, but Brown has been slow to return the favor. The man who was hailed as the face of the GOP resurgence has instead showed his independence. Those tea party cheers have turned to jeers.
Brown's centrist course is a matter of political survival: He'll likely face a tough re-election fight in one of the more Democratic states in 2012. His balancing act is playing out amid the broader battle between the GOP establishment and energized tea party activists in primaries for the fall midterm races.
"My voting record speaks for itself," Brown told The Associated Press in an interview earlier this year. "The biggest marker is that a lot of people on both sides of the aisle don't know how I'm going to vote."
Republicans fumed when Brown bolted the GOP and handed Senate Democrats key votes on a major jobs bill and a sweeping financial reform plan.
His centrist streak was underscored again recently when he traveled cross-country to raise money for mostly moderate, establishment Republican candidates in competitive races. Brown's trip did not include stops for tea party favorites for Senate such as Nevada's Sharron Angle, Kentucky's Rand Paul or Colorado's Ken Buck.
"I think he could be an asset to liberal Republicans in the 2010 election cycle, but with his votes on financial regulation the tea party movement can't trust him," said Shelby Blakely, a leader of the Tea Party Patriots, a national group.
Brown appeared at fundraising events for GOP Senate candidates Mark Kirk in Illinois, Dino Rossi in Washington and Carly Fiorina in California. He raised money in Ohio for Steve Stivers and Steve Chabot, who are in hotly contested races to reclaim the GOP seats they once held in the House.
"We've had lots of requests to help candidates," said Eric Fehrnstrom, a top Brown adviser. "Senator Brown will do what he can, but he won't be able to get involved in every race."
Brown's star power, coupled with his message of creating jobs and cutting out-of-control government spending, played well, Chabot said.
"People knew who he was and were anxious to see him," said the former seven-term congressman.
Chabot said he wasn't bothered that Brown isn't as conservative as he is on issues like abortion.
"He's in Massachusetts and I'm here in Ohio," Chabot said. "I'd be a lot closer to him than Teddy Kennedy."
Conservative groups like the tea party movement poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into TV ads for Brown in the crucial final weeks of his race against Democrat Martha Coakley. They trumpeted the symbolism of a Republican winning the seat Kennedy had held for nearly a half-century.
After he ran as the 41st senator who could join GOP filibusters to block President Barack Obama's domestic agenda, Brown's more moderate bent has made him a target for conservatives.
Tea party favorite Sarah Palin mocked Brown recently, saying in a Fox Business Network interview that while Massachusetts may "put up with" Brown, conservatives in her home state of Alaska wouldn't. Brown had skipped an April tea party rally in Boston featuring Palin.
After Brown voted for the Senate financial overhaul bill, tea party activists protested outside his office. On conservative websites, blogs and even on Brown's own Facebook page, former backers branded him a traitor — and worse.
"You are a liar and a disappointment to the voters who believed you were going to help us," one former supporter seethed on Brown's Facebook page.
Brown calls himself a "Scott Brown Republican" or "Massachusetts Republican" who usually votes with the GOP but is willing to work with Democrats, particularly when it benefits his state. He defies easy labels.
He says he's a fiscal conservative, but he voted for a big-ticket Democratic jobs bill soon after joining the Senate. Brown did not join a handful of moderate Republicans voting to confirm Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, citing her lack of judicial experience.
Brown's occasional forays across the aisle with Democrats play as smart politics in Massachusetts, where more than half the voters are not connected to a party and Republicans are a distinct minority. Moderation is about the only way a Republican can survive.
There's speculation that Kennedy's widow, Vicki, might challenge Brown. Democrats will be gunning hard for Brown. Anticipating a tough re-election, Brown has stockpiled more than $6.5 million in campaign cash. His recent trip was a chance to expand his own fundraising network and to build political chits he'll need in 2012.
US News
Click here to find out more!
A surge of tea party support helped catapult the upstart Brown into the late Sen. Edward Kennedy's seat in Democratic-dominated Massachusetts last January and made him an overnight political sensation, but Brown has been slow to return the favor. The man who was hailed as the face of the GOP resurgence has instead showed his independence. Those tea party cheers have turned to jeers.
Brown's centrist course is a matter of political survival: He'll likely face a tough re-election fight in one of the more Democratic states in 2012. His balancing act is playing out amid the broader battle between the GOP establishment and energized tea party activists in primaries for the fall midterm races.
"My voting record speaks for itself," Brown told The Associated Press in an interview earlier this year. "The biggest marker is that a lot of people on both sides of the aisle don't know how I'm going to vote."
Republicans fumed when Brown bolted the GOP and handed Senate Democrats key votes on a major jobs bill and a sweeping financial reform plan.
His centrist streak was underscored again recently when he traveled cross-country to raise money for mostly moderate, establishment Republican candidates in competitive races. Brown's trip did not include stops for tea party favorites for Senate such as Nevada's Sharron Angle, Kentucky's Rand Paul or Colorado's Ken Buck.
"I think he could be an asset to liberal Republicans in the 2010 election cycle, but with his votes on financial regulation the tea party movement can't trust him," said Shelby Blakely, a leader of the Tea Party Patriots, a national group.
Brown appeared at fundraising events for GOP Senate candidates Mark Kirk in Illinois, Dino Rossi in Washington and Carly Fiorina in California. He raised money in Ohio for Steve Stivers and Steve Chabot, who are in hotly contested races to reclaim the GOP seats they once held in the House.
"We've had lots of requests to help candidates," said Eric Fehrnstrom, a top Brown adviser. "Senator Brown will do what he can, but he won't be able to get involved in every race."
Brown's star power, coupled with his message of creating jobs and cutting out-of-control government spending, played well, Chabot said.
"People knew who he was and were anxious to see him," said the former seven-term congressman.
Chabot said he wasn't bothered that Brown isn't as conservative as he is on issues like abortion.
"He's in Massachusetts and I'm here in Ohio," Chabot said. "I'd be a lot closer to him than Teddy Kennedy."
Conservative groups like the tea party movement poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into TV ads for Brown in the crucial final weeks of his race against Democrat Martha Coakley. They trumpeted the symbolism of a Republican winning the seat Kennedy had held for nearly a half-century.
After he ran as the 41st senator who could join GOP filibusters to block President Barack Obama's domestic agenda, Brown's more moderate bent has made him a target for conservatives.
Tea party favorite Sarah Palin mocked Brown recently, saying in a Fox Business Network interview that while Massachusetts may "put up with" Brown, conservatives in her home state of Alaska wouldn't. Brown had skipped an April tea party rally in Boston featuring Palin.
After Brown voted for the Senate financial overhaul bill, tea party activists protested outside his office. On conservative websites, blogs and even on Brown's own Facebook page, former backers branded him a traitor — and worse.
"You are a liar and a disappointment to the voters who believed you were going to help us," one former supporter seethed on Brown's Facebook page.
Brown calls himself a "Scott Brown Republican" or "Massachusetts Republican" who usually votes with the GOP but is willing to work with Democrats, particularly when it benefits his state. He defies easy labels.
He says he's a fiscal conservative, but he voted for a big-ticket Democratic jobs bill soon after joining the Senate. Brown did not join a handful of moderate Republicans voting to confirm Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, citing her lack of judicial experience.
Brown's occasional forays across the aisle with Democrats play as smart politics in Massachusetts, where more than half the voters are not connected to a party and Republicans are a distinct minority. Moderation is about the only way a Republican can survive.
There's speculation that Kennedy's widow, Vicki, might challenge Brown. Democrats will be gunning hard for Brown. Anticipating a tough re-election, Brown has stockpiled more than $6.5 million in campaign cash. His recent trip was a chance to expand his own fundraising network and to build political chits he'll need in 2012.
US News
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