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McCain can barely choke the words out
Deconstructing the Daily Star’s John McCain Interview – Part 5
Posted by AzBlueMeanie:
We conclude this series with the last subject matter Sen. John McCain Interview: Don't Ask Don't Tell:
STAR: I wanted to ask about "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and your perspective on that. And I know what you said several years ago and what you have said since. But I'm wondering if you've been approached by gay service members because you said that it's been working effectively, it's been working well. So I'm curious how do you come to that conclusion? Have you sought out gay service members, have you been approached by gay service members? How do you make that determination?
McCAIN: I make that determination by retention and recruitment is at an all-time high, the highest in the history of the all-volunteer force. I get that opinion because I visit with the troops all the time. I go to Iraq, I go to Afghanistan, I run into them everywhere. And of course I don't seek out someone who is gay. Why should I? These are all men and women who are serving. Why should I, that would be nuts. I go up to men and women and I say thanks for serving. I say thank you for serving, you are great Americans, God bless you.
McCain is making an apples to oranges comparison of no relevance to the question asked. Recruitment and retention are at an all-time high because we are in the worst economic recession since the Great Depression with the long-term unemployment rate at a depression level of 17% or more. If you have a job in the military you keep it and take your chances. It's better than your chances of finding work in this economy. How this has anything to do with the success of DADT is beyond me.
John McCain said in October of 2006 on “Hardball” on MSNBC that he would listen to our military leaders as to what to do on Don't Ask Don't Tell:
And I understand the opposition to it, and I‘ve had these debates and discussions, but the day that the leadership of the military comes to me and says, Senator, we ought to change the policy, then I think we ought to consider seriously changing it because those leaders in the military are the ones we give the responsibility to.
We reported McCain's flip-flop of his position on DADT here John McCain Flip-Flops, Rejects the Recommendation of the Pentagon on DADT, and Gen. Colin Powell calling him out for his flip-flop on DADT here. Gen. Colin Powell to John McCain: Repeal DADT
What is this crap about " I don't seek out someone who is gay, why should I? That would be nuts." Is he afraid the gay is going to rub off? If McCain really wants to know how DADT affects the lives and careers of gay military personnel serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, then he has to make the effort to speak to gay military personnel (on condition of confidentiality). His statement says he doesn't care about these military personnel.
STAR: But if there's a policy that could put that service in jeopardy for a number of service members, how do you judge whether it's working or not individually if you're not speaking with the people who are affected?
McCAIN: The policy is one that has worked by the opinion of their commanders. Now the military is an organization that is designed for one purpose and one purpose only, to fight and win wars. That's the only reason why we have a military. So by any objective view, our military is the most professional, best equipped, best trained, most highest quality that it's ever been. That means that its policies are working. And they get that from every commander from the sergeant to the second lieutenant all the way up to the service chiefs.
Now just yesterday, Gen. (George) Casey said he was very worried about an abrupt change without assessing the impact on the men and women in the military and our battle effectiveness. That's what he said.
The commandant of the Marine Corps said that he's against it. The head of the United States Marine Corps said that he's against it. And he said that they may have to change the living arrangements of the members of the United States Marine Corps.
Now these are people who are battle seasoned, they are people that are sergeants who have five tours in Iraq or Afghanistan.
The "only reason we have a military is to fight and win wars?" Spoken like a true Neoconservative warmonger. It's called the Department of Defense for a reason (the name was changed from the Department of War). The military exists to defend the security interests of the United States. It was never intended to be a conquering military force to occupy countries for a Pax Americana empire as his Neoconservative friends fantasize about.
STAR: You said that in your estimation …
McCAIN: It's not my estimation. Objectives of estimation. You can't change the numbers of recruitment and retention.
STAR: If those things are going well, could they be better if the policy was changed?
McCAIN: That's why we need to review the policy and find out what the effect is on the military and their battle effectiveness. That's why we need an extensive review and listen to the commandant of the Marine Corps who says it should not be repealed. Listen to the men and women in the field, listen to the families of those who are serving rather than fulfill a campaign promise.
Now the reason why the president declared this is because it was a campaign promise, not because our military is hurting, not because we're having difficulties in the military.
STAR: There are those in the military who think it's a terrible policy and unjust and should be changed. So I think there's …
McCAIN: Well, according to polls, I think that the overwhelming majority of members of the military support it. So I'm sure I can find people who don't like any policy that the military has. But the majority of the members of the military strongly support it, and they worry about battle effectiveness if they change the policy. That's why we have to have a thorough and complete review before we change the policy. And that's what I said two years ago and that's what I said two weeks ago and that's what I said yesterday and that's what I said today. We need a thorough and complete review before we change the policy and its impact on battle effectiveness and listen to the members of the military, not just because we are fulfilling a campaign promise by then-candidate Obama.
Sore loser McCain rears his ugly head again to assert that this is a rash move by president Obama for political reasons. It couldn't possibly be about civil rights, fairness and justice for gay military personnel proudly and honorably serving their country in the U.S. Armed Forces. An extensive review is simply an excuse for foot-dragging delay so that Republicans can beat the "gay issue" to death in the November election. "Go slow" is the same thing the segregationists said during the civil rights movement. How long is long enough?
As for polling, McCain is cherry-picking an older (and flawed) poll that supports his position while ignoring other polls that show a majority of Americans and military service personnel favor ending DADT. As we reported here previously:
Polls show that a majority of Americans support openly gay service — a majority did not in 1993 — but there have been no recent broad surveys of the 1.4 million active-duty personnel. In the most recent poll – conducted in May 2009 by Gallup – 69% favored allowing openly gay people to serve. Only 26% were opposed. Public Opinion Supports Repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” A December 2008 poll by The Military Times of predominantly Republican and largely older subscribers found that 58 percent opposed to efforts to repeal the policy. Military Times Poll Flawed | Palm Center
In 2006, a poll by Zogby International of 545 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans found that nearly three-quarters were comfortable around gay service members. Zogby International
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