Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham
dispute that “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” hurts the military and say
that repeal of the policy that bans gay and bisexual service members
from serving openly is being pushed by “an inexperienced president
or candidate for presidency of the United States.”
McCain appeared on CNN's State of
the Union, while Graham spoke on Fox News Sunday.
The
Senate Armed Services Committee will hold hearings this week on a
Pentagon report on repeal of the Clinton-era policy. A
questionnaire included in the report found that a large majority
(more than 70%) of service members do not object to ending the ban,
but more than 40 percent of Marines do, according to details leaked
to the media.
Previously, McCain has dismissed the
report, saying that he wants a study that looks at whether the
military should repeal the policy. A
notion Defense Secretary Robert Gates rejected in a letter to McCain.
“I do not believe that military policy decisions should on this or
any other subject be subject to referendum of service members,” he
wrote.
State of the Union's Candy
Crowley noted the letter when she asked, “Doesn't he have a point?”
“Well, I think he certainly has a
point,” McCain answered. “I would also certainly say that we
should remember where this all started. There was no uprising in the
military. There were no problems in the military with 'Don't Ask,
Don't Tell.'”
“It wasn't a problem because you
didn't have – it's called 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' OK? If you
don't ask them, you don't ask somebody, and they don't tell.”
“I understand your point of view, and
I understand the point of view by the majority of the media, but the
fact is, this was a political promise made by an inexperienced
president or candidate for presidency of the United States. The
military is at its highest point in recruitment and retention and
professionalism and capability, so to somehow allege that this policy
has been damaging the military is simply false,” the Arizona
senator added. (The video is embedded in the right panel of his
page.)
Graham, also a member of the Senate
Armed Services Committee, expressed a similar sentiment.
“Well, there are service chiefs who
object to repeal, particularly the Marine Corps. And the question
that was asked of our military is how would you implement 'Don't Ask,
Don't Tell' once it's repealed. They didn't ask the question,
'Should it be repealed?'”
“This is a political promise made by
Senator Obama when he was running for president,” the South
Carolina Republican said. “There is no groundswell of opposition
to 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' coming from our military. This is all
politics.”
Graham also predicted Republicans would
unite to block repeal of the law.