BREAKING UPDATE: 12:00 10.26.10
Kerry Eleveld adds this disturbing note to her piece:
“The Advocate has obtained a copy of an email sent from Brian Bond, deputy director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and the de facto LGBT liaison, to the meeting’s participants, who include: Allison Herwitt and Joe Solmonese of the Human Rights Campaign; Shane Larson of the Stonewall Democrats; Winnie Stachelberg of the Center for American Progress; Aubrey Sarvis of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network; R. Clarke Cooper of the Log Cabin Republicans; Alex Nicholson and Jarrod Chlapowski of Servicemembers United; Nathaniel Frank, DADT expert formerly of the Palm Center; Jim Kessler of the Third Way.
“The email notes that the meeting has been moved from 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and then warns participants to stick strictly to a discussion about legislative repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” and to steer clear of any mention of the current courts cases now being litigated.
“Bond writes:
“Obviously this meeting has gotten out. We are expecting the content of the conversation today to be off the record and to help us figure out how to move forward with the lame duck session.
“Also as previously mentioned, there can be no discussion of current court cases or legal strategy or Counsel’s Office will end the meeting. The focus is repeal and the lame duck session. This is also a non-partisan meeting where we want everyone’s help.â€
AMERICAblog’s John Aravosis’ response: “I am speechless.”
“It’s one thing for the White House to ask participants to keep the meeting to how to pass the legislation during the lame duck session – though I’m not sure such a request is valid, why shouldn’t our leaders take the opportunity to ask the legal counsel why it’s acting like Bull Connor? – but it’s quite another to outright threaten our national organizations, and issue them ultimatums like they’re children (battered children, at that).”
# # #
Minutes ago, Kerry Eleveld at The Advocate reported that pro-repeal groups will meet with White House senior officials, including Valerie Jarrett and deputy chief of staff Jim Messina “to discuss the path forward on repealing “don’t ask, don’t tell†during the lame duck session following the midterm elections.”
She writes,
“The White House is meeting with several interested parties to discuss the legislative repeal of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ The meeting will concern the work that remains to be done to ensure Congressional action on this issue this year,†said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.”