Over the past two weeks, President Obama and leading members of his administration have earned the gratitude of all of us who oppose unfair discrimination in their repudiation of the policy that has refused to allow many patriotic gay and lesbian Americans to serve in our country's military, and which has denigrated and degraded the service of many others.

For some time, it has been acknowledged by military leaders that the policy of denying gay and lesbian military personnel the ability to be honest about who they are was in no way based on any deficiency in their service. Twenty years ago, then-Defense Secretary Dick Cheney and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Colin Powell acknowledged that the ban did not reflect any problem with the dedication or ability of those servicemembers who had been so highly motivated to serve their country that they did so in the face of a discriminatory policy aimed specifically at them. Unfortunately, at that time, neither man was prepared to repudiate this form of discrimination, even while effectively acknowledging that there were no fair reasons for it.

As he promised in his campaign, President Obama has led the way in reversing this shameful pattern of condoning the mistreatment of gay and lesbian Americans who wish to serve our country. And his strong words in the State of the Union Speech were supported admirably by the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Some of the nation's top political commentators, legislators and intellectuals offer their insight into the biggest question burning up the blogosphere today.

Today's question:

Will the issue of prosecuting Guantanamo Bay detainees in civilian courts be a big campaign issue in 2010?

(Read today's responses after the jump.) Read more...

The Internet “eco-system” has been one of the few areas of actual job growth in our economy over the past two years.  To begin with, the major network providers employ an estimated 180,000 workers in their own right.  But there is more. 

According to a study by Hamilton Consultants, “[s]ome 20,000 small businesses operate on the Internet, 120,000 individuals are primarily employed as eBay sellers, and 500,000 individuals have part-time businesses on eBay.” 

The figures get even higher when you add the number of self-employed who work exclusively from home --  which, according to the US Census Bureau, includes 8.1 million people in 2005 (the latest available data).  And the total population of people working from home – at least some of the time – was estimated to be 11.3 million.

Some of the nation's top political commentators, legislators and intellectuals offer their insight into the biggest question burning up the blogosphere today .

Today's question:

President Barack Obama has invited Republicans and Democrats to a televised summit on healthcare. Will this generate momentum for healthcare reform?

(Read today's responses after the jump.)

Some of the nation's top political commentators, legislators and intellectuals offer their insight into the biggest question burning up the blogosphere today .

Today's question:

What lessons should President Barack Obama have learned during the
healthcare reform push that might help him move a jobs bill forward quickly?

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The tide seems to be turning in favor of comprehensive immigration reform, despite populist trends that might suggest otherwise. President Barack Obama's ability in 2010 to hammer out reform has been helped by some unusual suspects. Democrats, already on board the reform bandwagon, are even seeing some conservatives rally for similar reform measures. These new voices, along with recent polling that puts the majority of the American public in favor of a legalization process for our 12 million undocumented immigrants, bodes well for a nation in desperate need of a new immigration policy. This president, unlike his predecessor, will not shy away from needed reform as it is the right thing to do economically, the right thing to do politically, and the right thing to do morally.

In the throes of America's recession, Obama must do everything in his power to weigh the fiscal pros and cons of any policy decision. Immigration, unsurprisingly, brings with it formidable fiscal implications. Keeping immigrants here or sending them home can save or cost taxpayers dearly, depending on what course is chosen.

A study conducted last month by University of California, Los Angeles, Professor Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda, for example, finds that any deportation plan of America's undocumented immigrants would cost our country's gross domestic product a whopping $2.6 trillion over the next 10 years. Conversely, if we embrace comprehensive immigration reform, we add $1.5 trillion to the U.S. gross domestic product over the next 10 years. Hinojosa-Ojeda also projected that the economy would benefit from a temporary worker program, which would raise the GDP by $792 billion.

Read more...

In a sweeping decision, five Supreme Court justices have seen fit to overturn decades of established legislation and judicial precedents. In Citizens United v. FEC, the Court decided against Congress’ long deliberated record banning corporate campaign spending. The Court tore apart carefully-crafted laws, dating as far back as the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act, ruling that corporations should be treated as persons under the First Amendment, entitled to make unlimited expenditures supporting or attacking local, state and federal candidates.

This judicial wrecking crew appears far from finished. The same justices have their sights on the 1907 Tillman Act prohibiting direct corporate contributions to candidates. Justice Clarence Thomas recently told the New York Times: “Go back and read why Tillman introduced that legislation. Tillman was from South Carolina, and as I hear the story, he was concerned that the corporations, Republican corporations, were favorable toward blacks and he felt that there was a need to regulate them.”

Many members of Congress are justifiably alarmed that there is a new legislature in town opening the floodgates of unlimited corporate political spending. They are alarmed that the ruling will dramatically increase the cost of campaigns and the time spent fundraising. More importantly, they are alarmed about the damage this ruling will have on the legislative process. Corporate lobbyists may now negotiate with lawmakers wielding that big club of threats of massive campaign spending.

Some of the nation's top political commentators, legislators and intellectuals offer their insight into the biggest question burning up the blogosphere today.

Today's question:

The attempted Christmas Day bomber is talking to authorities.
 
What does this say about President Barack Obama’s interrogation and detention policies? What does it mean for the opposition?

( Read answers after the jump.) Read more...

Stunning. That was my reaction when I listened to a freshman Republican Congressman rebut the principled position of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, and the Secretary of Defense Bob Gates, that the policy of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" needed to end and that gay members of the Armed Services should be able to serve their country without fear that just being who they are would end their service.

It was especially alarming to hear the judgment of Admiral Mullen and Secretary Gates dismissed so easily as 'biased.'

Anyone who knows Admiral Mullen or Bob Gates knows damn well that neither of them say what any Administration just wants them to say.
This is, after all, Secretary Bob Gates - a lifelong Republican who was appointed to positions of high trust and leadership by President Ronald Reagan, President George Herbert Walker Bush, and President George W Bush. This is a Defense Secretary who planned to leave government and had to be talked into continuing to serve in a Democratic Administration. He is doing his duty today out of patriotism, not political ambition or partisanship.