October 16, 2009 09:44 PM UTC

Bold Enough For A "Conservadem?"

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• by: Colorado Pols

The Denver Post’s Michael Riley finds Sen. Mark Udall’s pushing President Obama on the “don’t ask, don’t tell policy” affecting gays in the military to be no big deal:

U.S. Sen. Mark Udall (D – Colo.) sent a letter today to Barack Obama asking him to push for a quick response from the military’s highest commander on reversing the long-standing ban on gays in the military.

It’s hardly a bold move. Udall is asking Obama to ask Admiral Michael Mullen to hurry and get back with an opinion on reversing the ban. Still, it is consistent with Udall’s earlier advocacy on the issue and a sign he wants to continue to push the issue in his new job as senator. (As a member of the House of Representatives, Udall twice co-sponsored a bill requiring repeal of the current policy, known as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.)

Democrats are getting increasingly impatient with Obama’s slow pace on his promise to reverse the ban, but few seem willing to openly confront the president over the issue. Even Rep. Jared Polis (D-Boulder), who is openly gay and who has brought up the issue privately with Obama, has yet to publically call the president out.

We’d say it’s worth noting for a Senator frequently lumped in with the loathed “Conservadems,” and as a former sponsor of the House bill to repeal, it certainly is “consistent.” And if Udall is making more noise than the First Openly Gay Man Ever Elected to Congress™, we’d call that bold enough.