**I'm not trying to be combative, and I apologize for a post that has gotten longer than I planned, but if I sound bitter I hope you will understand why...**
"a great move forward"?
no it is the smallest of baby steps, the smallest incremental step.
-The memo, in the first place, can be easily kicked aside as soon as the repukes come back into power. A new memo by them and poof, it's gone. Will it take 9 months to be kicked aside? I doubt it, it would likely be immediate.
-In the second place, the new guidelines are problematic and inadequate. If you care to, you can read this thread at Pam's House Blend about why,
http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/18002/new-rules-issued-on-patient-visitation-in-hospitals-receiveing-federal-dollarsand questions explored in the comments, such as this one:
"More work to be done
you are correct in that the scenarios that were outlined are limited in scope. I was on a number of calls today with the White House, DHHS and CMS as they announced this. It was brought up that this is a good ruling (that included SO and GI) but only good if there was either legal paperwork in place between the two partners or that the patient was capable of making their visitor names known. It falls way short if the patient cannot make their wishes known, if there is no paperwork in place, if a family member happens to be anti-lgbt and objects, or if paperwork is not recognized by the state."
So, under these guidelines, it is probable still, that in a case where the patient is unconscious, a homophobic family could still push out the lgbt partner, in spite of thousands of dollars of legal paperwork (that many like me can't afford and don't have) especially in homophobic states that have constitutional amendments outlawing any recognition of any gay partnership (like mine...Arizona...got to get out of here).
So, Obama got credit for the memo on 4/15/10, he gets congratulations now for the guidelines finally being released, he'll probably also be praised again in 2 months when they finally go into effect, and he'll be praised again later when they have to be revised and strengthened.
"most others would agree that this is something he has delivered on as a promise to the people"?
well...no
-We were promised health care reform, repeal of DADT, repeal of DOMA, and passage of ENDA.
Let's put this memo into perspective in the context of what was going on at the time...
He didn't promise this memo, because there was gay anti-discrimination language written into the health care bill that would have covered this and more, but that was stripped out by Democrats compromising and caving to republicans who still didn't vote for it after all the compromises...
-ENDA was being delayed and delayed, soon to be permanently shelved...
Two weeks before, Gates had just sent his letter telling Congress he didn't want them to repeal DADT this year. And Obama said nothing. He let Gates set the policy.
-on 4/14 reports surfaced that the White House congressional liaison office was telling offices on the Hill not to pass DADT repeal this year. The White House then denied that report was true, but still didn't call for repeal this year, or mention Gates letter telling Congress not to repeal.
-This memo would be unnecessary if DOMA was repealed...but DOMA repeal is not even on the horizon... and no one has hope that it ever will be...
-In the meantime Obama and his Department of "Justice" have been fiercely defending all anti-gay laws...
So Obama releases this memo on 4/15/10...
so all in all it just looks like a pr move to look like they are doing something good when they are doing a lot bad...
a crumb is still something to a starving person, even if it takes 7 months to fall far enough from the table to see how small a crumb it is, and another 2 months from now to hit the ground.