Monday, January 03, 2011



Obama lame duck
President Barack Obama celebrates
 what he considers major
 accomplishments as the lame-duck
 Congress nears an end
 on Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010.
 (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
     President Barack Obama signed the legislation repealing the federal law (10 USC 654)   behind the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on Dec. 22, 2010.  The Senate (65-31) had passed the repeal legislation on Dec. 18, and the House of Representatives had passed repeal on Dec. 15, 2010.
     In introducing the president at the Dec. 22 signing ceremony, Vice President Joe Biden said, “It’s a good day.  It’s a real good day.  As some of my colleagues can tell you, this is a long time in coming.  But I am happy it’s here. … Mr. President, by signing this bill, you will be linking military might with an abiding sense of justice.  You’ll be projecting power by promoting fairness, and making the United States military as strong as they can be at a time we need it to be the strongest.  Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States of America, the Commander-in-Chief, Barack Obama.”
     President Obama said, “You know, I am just overwhelmed.  This is a very good day.  And I want to thank all of you, especially the people on this stage, but each and every one of you who have been working so hard on this, members of my staff who worked so hard on this.  I couldn’t be prouder.