President Obama is reserved at times, has a lot of self-control, stays cool, calm, collected, unruffled. That’s what’s good about him, and also what can be a little frustrating. Confrontation can work to his advantage. Remember his visit to the House Republican retreat? Yum.

Sometimes I just want him to let loose. Once in awhile I’d love to see his loud, brash, uninhibited side (if he has one). While I admire his ability to deal quietly and rationally with just about any crisis or controversy– I treasure that trait, in fact– there are those times when I wish he could kick politics in the pants and go inappropriately hog wild.

This is one of those times:

President Obama “has quietly used his powers to expand federal rights and benefits for gays and lesbians, targeting one government restriction after another in an attempt to change public policy while avoiding a confrontation with Republicans and opponents of gay rights,” the Washington Post reports.

“Among the changes: Gay partners of federal workers will now receive long-term health insurance, access to day care and other benefits. Federal Housing Authority loans can no longer consider the sexual orientation of applicants. The Census Bureau plans to report the number of people who report being in a same-sex relationship. Hospitals must allow gays to visit their ill partners. And federal child-care subsidies can be used by the children of same-sex domestic partners.”

“Individually, none of the changes is especially dramatic. But taken together, they significantly alter the way gays and lesbians are viewed under federal law.“

Imagine if he bullhorned, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is over! Bite me, homophobes!” Okay, maybe not in those words….

What a shame that boldly strutting his stuff on gay rights would inevitably cause such a stir that it would go all 24/7 on us, get him vilified, interfere with any other message he’d struggle to get out, give the GOTP ammo galore, and preoccupy the media in the worst, most destructive way (while a lot of us Progressive types would cheer our heads off).

In other words, speaking out with abandon for basic civil rights, for equality of all Americans, would create havoc for the president. That is about as topsy turvy as you can get.