Goddammit Obama

Couple of critiques from a godless liberal:

1. We have the NSA spying on everybody, but we can't run a online store for health insurance?  Stop spying on Americans and reform the NSA to make the online world more secure and safe. Pardon Manning and Snowden and stand for liberty.
2. Drones are providing a real, deadly, boogieman to the very folks we need on our side to stop terrorists.  Stop dropping bombs on wedding party caravans.  Murdering a whole family to get a top terrorist is immoral.

Neither of the above two things are good for you politically (right, middle, or left) nor are they good for anyone in real life.  This "Because Safety" is authoritarian argument would be endorsed by Goebbels.

Obviously, Levin's friends in the military are more important than women

From Dan Friedman at the NY Daily News:

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) plans to replace a measure from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and others that would take prosecution of sexual assault out of the military chain of command with an alternative provision, a step that represents a death knell for the New York Democrat's bill.
Gillibrand declined to comment Tuesday on Levin's plan. But Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) who joined the New York Democrat to consponsor the bill creating a separate convening authority for sexual assault, blasted Levin's move.
"I am stunned that when it comes to prosecuting these crimes the committee is largely embracing the status quo by allowing commanders to not only decide whether a case goes forward, but even to handpick the jury that will render the verdict," Boxer said in a statement.
Boxer said the U.S. should "emulate our allies in Israel, Great Britain, Australia and Canada" who review sexual assault outside the chain of command.

Yes, Mr. Levin, the kangaroo, victim silencing, anti-woman prosecution system the military has right now is doing a good job.  Did you give your good ol' boy, brass wearing buddies a pat on the butt after replacing this measure like Chad Johnson did in court the other day?  Shame on you Mr. Levin!  Shame on you for not joining Gillibrand and Boxer in actually doing something to make the military a better place for women.

Military chiefs oppose "removing power to silence" sexual assault probes

So, the military rejects any new approach to dealing with the rampant and increasing sexual assault from within it's own ranks...

From Eliott C. McLaughlin's article at CNN:

Military chiefs oppose removing commanders from sexual assault probes

Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force chiefs expressed opposition Tuesday to removing the chain of command from sexual assault investigations, as Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin said there may be public confusion about the military's reporting process.

Mr. Levin, there is "public confusion" about why the military is a safe haven for sexual assault criminals.

Legislation has been introduced to give responsibility to military prosecutors, instead of commanders, in these probes.

You mean that a 3rd party, instead of the boss of both the perpetrator and the victim would have the power to prosecute?  But that would remove at least some of the conflict of interest, the horror!

Referring to media reports that there is only one way to report sexual assault, Levin, D-Michigan, asked each of the military heads at a hearing if there currently are multiple options in addition to notifying a unit commander.

The three generals and admiral all replied yes. They also told the committee that instances of commanders ignoring their judge advocate generals' advice in sexual assault cases are extremely rare.

Sen. James Inhofe, the top Republican member of the Armed Service panel, earlier called sexual assault in the military "an enemy to morale and readiness," and urged his colleagues to tread carefully in tackling the issue.

Inhofe said he is opposed to any legislation "removing commanders from their indispensable roles" in the military justice system, and noted that military and civilian courts are different animals because members of the military do not enjoy the same rights as civilians.

"There's a risk of unintended consequences if we act with haste without thorough and thoughtful review," the Oklahoma lawmaker said.

...

The military has been hit hard over the issue of sexual assault among its ranks, with the Defense Department reporting an estimated 26,000 cases of unwanted sexual contact, ranging from rape to groping, in 2012. That was a 35% jump from 2010, the Defense Department said.

Inhofe, we've got 26,000 cases of sexual assault and a 35% increase in two years.  What unintended consequence could be worse than this?

Shame on the military and shame on you Inhofe.