Mike Mullen and Robert Gates are going to make cameos! This thing is gonna be STAR STUDDED! (Also: Does anyone still find it a little amazing that they can sit at their computers and watch the nation’s top lawmakers bitch in public? I do.)
Mullen addressed McCain directly: The senator has accused him of not being a true troop leader (which is technically true), and thus not in tune with the needs of servicemembers. Mullen responded: Uh, you fucking idiot, DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT TOOK FOR ME TO BECOME CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS? LEADING A LOT OF FUCKING TROOPS, DUMBASS.
Ham noted that in the beginning of the survey, he wasn’t thrilled to be attached to the project, but as it moved forward he concluded that not only was it necessary, the study showed him repeal is the right thing to do. He also answers McCain’s question about whether it’s time for DADT repeal: Yes, says Ham, because otherwise the courts will make the decision.
Johnson appealed to lawmakers’ sense of self, pointing out that as the Pentagon’s top lawyer his big concern is letting the courts decide the future of DADT. Nothing twists the heart of a legislator like telling them they’re going to be powerless!
How about we take this to the next level?
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WOW. Chatting with Sec. Gates about whether troops are ready to serve with out gays, Gates brings up the notion that many servicemembers (like the Marines) have little to no experience serving with women, but that shouldn’t discourage integration of the sexes the same way not serving openly with gays shouldn’t discourage integration between out heteros and out homos. Says McCain in an attempt to rebuff Gates: “I think they’re mature enough to say who they want to serve with.” Dude, you just proved our point.
Sen. James Inhofe says the policy is working just fine, pointing to the U.S. military’s high retention rates. Something about “if it ain’t broke.”
Indiana’s Sen. Evan Bayh for the win. He’s called DADT a policy of “hypocrisy,” and noted that gays and lesbians have always served in the military, and many of them are buried at Arlington Cemetery, but had we known about their sexuality we wouldn’t consider them heroes. We would’ve run them out of the armed forces.
Cam
Gee, the military’s high retention rates could be due to them extending tours and the fact that they have cut the funding to offer aid in going to college after and the large jobless rates so that many in the military have far fewer options upon leaving than they used to.
When unemployment is this high to say “Well gee, nobody is quitting their job so our company must be perfect” is idiotic.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
When the hell is Senator Crankypants McCain going to be put out to pasture????
Interesting tidbit: when asked the now standard “boxers or briefs” question, McCain replied: Ummm, Depends…. :p
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
When the hell is Senator Crankypants McCain going to be put out to pasture????
Interesting tidbit: when asked the now standard “boxers or briefs” question, McCain replied: “Ummm, Depends”…. :p
Cam
I’ve posted this before, but I really think that McCains hypocricy needs to be laid out as obvious as possible.
If McCain doesn’t like the results of THIS report…Then why doesn’t he look at the other reports done by and for the Pentagon and Congress over the last 2 decades that concluded EXACTLY the same thing…..
The Pentagon did a study in the late 80’s that concluded gays should be allowed to serve. They tried to bury it. Here is the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/22/us/report-urging-end-of-homosexual-ban-rejected-by-military.html?pagewanted=1
Then the General Accounting Office undertook a study at the request of Congress in 1992. It also said that gays should serve openly. Link below
http://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/20/us/military-s-anti-gay-rule-is-costly-a-report-says.html
This is now the third survey that has reached the same conclusion. Bigots will always be bigots and allowing them to try to claim that they need more time to “Study” this is letting them off the hook for their bigotry.” McCain either knows about these surveys, in which case he is a liar and a massive hypocrite, or he is unaware of them even though BOTH were done while he was in office which means he is ineffectual and doesn’t bother to pay attention to his own responsibilities while in office.
george
From their questioning…Collins, Brown, and Webb look like they’re going to vote for repeal. Manchin looks iffy.
justiceontherocks
McCain is absolutely off his rocker. He’s the Tony Perkins of the Senate.
Bubba in TX
@George: These senators might vote for repeal…IF it ever makes it to a vote. The Republicans are using their desire to extend tax cuts for the rich to stall any legislation during the lame duck session. They are probably very sincere about wanting to extend the tax cuts (and don’t get me started on why that is so wrong), but their grandstanding has the added bonus of kicking DADT down the field until they are in charge and they never have to even TALK about repealing it again.
Even the Republican senators who (allegedly) back DADT repeal can hide behind this tactic and never have to put their butts on the line for supporting the repeal.
Cam
Sorry, Queerty messed up the links in the previous post, lets see if they work this time..
The Pentagon did a study in the late 80’s that concluded gays should be allowed to serve. They tried to bury it. Here is the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/22/us/report-urging-end-of-homosexual-ban-rejected-by-military.html?pagewanted=1
Then the General Accounting Office undertook a study at the request of Congress in 1992. It also said that gays should serve openly. Link below
http://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/20/us/military-s-anti-gay-rule-is-costly-a-report-says.html
This is now the third survey that has reached the same conclusion. Bigots will always be bigots and allowing them to try to claim that they need more time to “Study” this is letting them off the hook for their bigotry.”
kokobean
IM STILL ASKING…WHY AND HOW IS MCCAIN STILL ALIVE
Riker
Its only a matter of time. DADT will be repealed, one way or another. If the Republicans want to have a say in how it is done, then they will vote to repeal it legislatively. If not, the courts will handle it.
Cam
ARRRGHH! Lets try that again, here are the two reports.
http://www.nytimes.com/1989/10/22/us/report-urging-end-of-homosexual-ban-rejected-by-military.html?pagewanted=1
http://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/20/us/military-s-anti-gay-rule-is-costly-a-report-says.html
jason
Someone should book a nursing home for McCain. He’s getting close to the point of dementia in my view.
But where oh where is our “fierce advocate” Obama? Hiding under his White House desk? Obama has been a total failure, a useless buffoon who has harmed us by dragging this issue on for political reasons. He could have resolved this a year ago when the Democrats were at their peak. Instead, he chose this difficult path which is less likely to result in the repeal of DADT.
Both Obama and McCain are cut from the same cloth. Neither of them deserve our vote.
ToddP
Jason- Your pot shot at President Obama, who has appointed the largest number of Gays and Lesbians to office (see link below) than ANY other U.S. President, is just pathetic and childish! If you understood how repealing laws enacted by congress worked, (enacted President Clinton…and Ignored by President Bush who sent us to 2 wars) then you would understand that President Obama is working to make sure the repeal happens through congress so that it’s not fodder for people like those that just voted out the Supreme Court Justices in Iowa (link below). But of course people like you just want to whine about what the President isn’t doing…which makes me believe no matter what he does your ilk won’t be satisfied…you’re just like the stupid teabaggers who scream “keep the Government hands off of my Medicare” And of course we know they’re not REALLY screaming about their Medicare—now, are they? Oh and to answer your question here is what President Obama and the Democratic Congress has been doing for the past two years, (again link below), they afterall do have a COUNTRY to run!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1323934/Why-White-House-turning-slightly-pink-Obama-appoints-openly-gay-officials-U-S-president.html
http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/2865160,CST-NWS-gay04.article
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/11/the-rights-accuracy-problem.html
Not that any of these articles will change the mind of you rabid Obama-haters…I’m just wondering where all of you were when our last President and his ilk used the Gay Community as fish-bait for their conservative voters?
Todd P
Rafalo
@jason: Blah, blah, blah. Obama, McCain, Palin… all the same.
Just because you don’t see Obama on the teevee everyday doesn’t mean he hasn’t been pushing for the repeal behind the scenes. If Gates and Mullen are fighting for it, its because Obama has been pushing them to do it.
Go ahead… vote Republican. Vote 3rd party. Same result: a bigger anti-gay Congress.
Michael W.
“Both Obama and McCain are cut from the same cloth.”
The false equivalency bullshit continues. Barack Obama and John McCain are night and day. If it wasn’t for the majority of us who voted Obama, rather than the 27% mix of self-hating GOProuder and bitter Clintonista gays who voted for McCain, we wouldn’t even be close to this intersection of history.
Ronbo
Obama’s Justice Dept has argued 3 times that gays deserve the exact same protection under the law as pedophiles and felons. Don’t love Obama because he calls himself a Democrat. I can call myself jizz and you aren’t lapping me up; don’t give credit where credit isn’t due. Obama is a religious bigot. He thinks we are not deserving as the same rights as all other Americans. Ironic that a black American is derisive of gay Americans.
A bigot is a bigot (regardless of color).
Ronbo
@ToddP:
Did you give any thought to the fact that Obama is President when more gay persons are public about their orientation than any time in history? Duh! This is about as “historic” as saying that McCain has served with more gay military than George Washington. Obama is way behind public opinion – you, I, we all know it. A bigot is a bigot (regardless of their skin color). Obama is a bigot – merely by the fact that he doesn’t support our equality, civil rights or accomplishments.
It is not what you say; it’s what you do. Obama has push us to the back of the bus. He is worse than Bush, because Obama killed hope.
Queer Supremacist
Can we Puh-leeze send him back to the POW camp in Vietnam? Or at least to Leavenworth?
ewe
I think it is time to address that McCain is exhibiting classic senility.
KATHY
@Jason
Whatever dude, your anti Obama rants don’t change the facts of what McCain is doing.
Cam
@ToddP: said..
“”Jason- Your pot shot at President Obama, who has appointed the largest number of Gays and Lesbians to office (see link below) than ANY other U.S. President, is just pathetic and childish! If you understood how repealing laws enacted by congress worked, (enacted President Clinton…and Ignored by President Bush who sent us to 2 wars) then you would understand that President Obama is working to make sure the repeal happens through congress”””
_____________________
Appointing gays is nothing, none are in the cabinate. He tried to prevent the repeal from being brought up origionally and when Pelosi told him it was coming whether he liked it or not the White House said they would support it only if it stripped out anti-discrimination language and inserted provisions that could keep the policy active indefinitly EVEN if Congress votes to repeal it. His Dept. of Justice has appealed rulings stricking it down using insulting language to gays, and Obama has never come out and said that the policy is unconstitutional.
Again, appointing gays, in other words admitting that we exist isn’t something to be excited about, it’s something that is expected at this point in history.