Jun 122009
In an interview with Air America’s Ana Marie Cox, Senator John McCain re-affirmed his support for Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT). When Cox compared DADT to Truman’s forced de-segregation of the armed forces as a civil rights issue, a testy John McCain replied: “Well, you are entitled to your opinion. But I don’t think so.”
An excerpt from the interview below:
MCCAIN: My opinion is shaped by the view of the leaders of the military. The reason why I supported the policy to start with is because General Colin Powell, who was then the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the one that strongly recommended we adopt this policy in the Clinton administration. I have not heard General Powell or any of the other military leaders reverse their position, just like when on other issues, that people are expert and knowledgeable of, I rely on their opinion. But this is unique. These military leaders are responsible for the very lives of the men and women under their command, and that’s why I am especially guided, to a large degree, by their views.
COX: Now, you know that Truman de-segregated the military through executive order. And he did it against the wishes of some people in the military. There were some studies that had been shown and some panels that suggested that integration was actually good for the forces.
MCCAIN: Let me tell you again. Colin Powell was asked exactly that question, as an African-American. He was asked that question exactly, and he answered it hundreds of times. And he said, “I do not equate ethnicity with sexual orientation.” I agree with him.
COX: Well, actually, there’s something to that, because obviously, right now there’s no segregation at all of gay people and straight people because we don’t know who is gay. So I guess I have to ask…
MCCAIN: But the two issues are not comparable. So I’m not sure why you’d bring that up.
COX: I think they’re comparable in that they are both civil rights issues.
MCCAIN: Well, you are entitled to your opinion. But I don’t think so.
The full interview will air on Saturday 9am. An audio clip is available on the Air America website.
Jun 102009
Stephen Colbert who is broadcasting from Baghdad, Iraq this week broaches the controversial issue in front of a packed house of officers and soldiers. Watch:
It’s hard to read the applause and laughter of the audience. Was it because of Colbert “playing” gay or the absurdity of the policy? Or mixture of both? I did notice the lack of recognition in the audience when Lt. Dan Choi and Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach, both victims of DADT were mentioned. Not even a smattering of applause. Hopefully they were simply unaware of the news back home.
It would have been interesting if they had done cutaways to the audience for their reactions during the segment… It would have been doubly interesting if Colbert had polled the audience about their position on DADT. But this is a comedy show… lest we forget.
Jun 062009
A new Gallup poll shows conservatives and weekly churchgoers now in favor of allowing open gays and lesbians to serve in the military, up 12 and 11 points respectively since 2004. From Gallup:
The finding that majorities of weekly churchgoers (60%), conservatives (58%), and Republicans (58%) now favor what essentially equates to repealing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy implemented under President Clinton in 1993 is noteworthy for several reasons. First, the data show that these traditionally conservative groups are shifting on this issue, supporting it to a far greater extent than they support legalized gay marriage. Second, it suggests the political playing field may be softer on this issue, and President Barack Obama will be well-positioned to forge ahead with his campaign promise to end the military ban on openly gay service members with some support from more conservative segments of the population. To date, it is estimated that more than 12,500 servicemen and servicewomen have been discharged under the policy, including more than 200 since Obama took office.
The question Gallup asked was:
“Do you favor or oppose allowing openly gay men and lesbian women to serve in the military?”
I wonder if moving the word “open” to later in the question would have affected the outcome of the poll…
“Do you favor or oppose allowing gay men and lesbian women to serve “openly” in the military?”
Just curious… In the mind of a wingnut…would it make a difference? I suspect it might.
Jun 052009
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has vehemently denied allegations by Daily Beast reporter Jason Bellini that they had lobbied to delay DADT in favor of ENDA and hate crimes legislation. HRC responded with the following statement:
“This story is not only an outright lie, it is recklessly irresponsible. HRC never made such a deal and continues to work with congress and the administration on a full range of equality issues including a swift end to the military’s shameful ban on lesbian and gay servicemembers.”
However in an interview with Sirius radio host Michael Signorile several weeks ago, the allegations against HRC seem to be confirmed by Dr. Aaron Belkin, Director the Palm Center, a research institute which focuses on sexual minorities in the military. Belkin addresses the issue in the interview with Signorile at around the 2:20 mark.
[audio:http://www.msignorile.com/Audio/Aaron Belkin.mp3]
The anti-gay lobby must be having a good laugh at our expense.