Earlier, Patrick Edaburn noted the comments of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates at today’s Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. I won’t quote them again here, but I will say I was very impressed by the comments.
A cranky Sen. John McCain — note the big deal he makes over the three minute speaking limit — was decidedly NOT impressed:
I’m deeply disappointed in your statement…Your statement is ‘question before us is not whether the military prepares to make this change, but how we best prepare for it.’ It would be far more appropriate, I say with great respect, to determine whether repealing this law is appropriate and what effects it would have on the readiness and effectiveness of the military before deciding on whether we should repeal the law or not and fortunately it is an act of Congress and it requires the agreement of Congress in order to repeal it.
Think Progress is one of many to note this contradiction:
In October of 2006…McCain explained that he understood the arguments against repealing DADT, but promised that “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.”
With that, you’ve got to wonder how he’s doing on the home-front. Both his wife and daughter were photographed with duct tape over their mouths for the NOH8 (get it? no hate) ad campaign for marriage equality. You will remember that John McCain endorsed California’s Prop 8 while he was running for president.