With Barry, they are all Checkers speeches.

Obama decided early on to avoid what was seen as Clinton's mistake in 1993 (pushing the repeal on the military gay ban in the his first week in office) - and put gay rights on the back burner. "Back burner" is a generous assessment on my part as tangential evidence indicates that Obama might just prefer to ignore gay rights issues entirely.

In terms of cold political calculation the BHO Administration probably believed this was the correct move. He did not win because of gay rights concerns and there were, in fact, "bigger fish to fry" in January. Politically, I am sure the arguments against moving on gay rights around the Axelrod conference room table seemed solid. Gay rights advocates bought in and waited. But now Obama has spent his political capital with all but the most kool addled gay rights advocates.

For two reasons:

1. Obama continues to create an appearance of activity around his agenda and his persona. He's been everywhere, all the time, he's in our face on every topic from bank bailouts, to GM to hand washing. He has held forth on everything - including the NCAA and NBA tournaments. Yet, Obama promised over and over and over again to lead on gay rights. He has avoided and insulted instead. The disconnect became too much after his Justice Department defended DOMA last week. The defense itself is not the core problem. The apparent choice to make it nasty is. Throwing in incest and child molestation was excessive, unnecessary, demeaning and hearkened back to arguments against interracial marriage that centered on "mud people."

While Obama has nurtured the appearance of the over achiever at work, pushing Congress to repeal DOMA has been avoided and the attack on gay military personal continues unchecked.

2. It is not 1993. While gay rights is still divisive but much has changed in 16 years. In 1993 gay rights was still a backwater in the national consciousness. Since then we've had gay centered sitcoms, lesbian movie stars, gay athletes, and talk show hosts. There are two gay oriented cable networks. Gay marriage equality is the law in a handful of states. Now 60 plus percent of Americans oppose Don't Ask Don't Tell.

In other words, there has been substantial movement. When Bill Clinton bravely - and dangerously - took on the gay military ban in 1993 he was far ahead of the curve.

Obama remains behind it.

Obama bothers me for so many reasons. The main one being that he is not the product that was force fed the American people last year. At all. This should be obvious to all by now. Far from the amazing agent of hope and change - he's just another politician - with a rather gross and mysterious pedigree - who spends most of his time dancing with the money men who brought him when not heading out for burgers and going on date nights.

In the case of gay rights his duplicitous nature is not my biggest beef. It is his stinginess. Obama does have a public speaking skill set akin to FDR, Reagan and Bill Clinton. He can move the conversation with a speech. But Obama is stingy. He uses his "gift" only to move himself along - never the country. Obama's best speeches are all geared toward pushing Obama. He touches on great themes when - and only when - it serves him first. So what ever he said about race while embracing Wright last Spring was subsumed by the subtext which was: I've got to use my "gift" to save my ass.

In 1952 Nixon famously saved his political career after being accused of taking gifts from donors as he ran for V.P. the first time. He went on TV and made his "checkers speech" denying he'd taken gifts - except for one: His family was given a dog named Checkers. People loved it. It was early and brilliant political television and remains the go to example of American political career ass saving. For Dick Nixon, the rest, as they say, is history.

Here is all Obama had to do on gay rights: Address it head on and early on in a speech on ONE day using his "gift'. He could have said: this is where we've been, this is what ought to happen... and what is right for all of us, it will take some time but here is the down payment...then signed an executive order ending benefit discrimination. He then would have really bought himself some time on the more volatile gay rights flash points.

What Obama did on Wednesday was an afterthought -and many gay rights advocates are rightfully disgusted with him. David Mixner:

The brief in defense of DOMA filed by President Obama's Department of Justice could have been written by the Rev. Pat Robertson....President Obama, even Dick Cheney is for marriage equality. Please don't try to placate us with actions already taken 16 years ago by President Clinton. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton might be able to help you find the way since she has already written a policy for your approval ending discrimination in her agency.

I urge everyone to read the entire post linked above.

Why didn't Obama take the action of a real leader? Simple: He isn't one and there was nothing in it for him. We've already learned beyond all doubt that values and campaign promises are meaningless to this President.