John McCain talks about his hypocrisy regarding DADT
On today's Meet the Press McCain was questioned about the change in his stance on the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.
GREGORY: Well, let's talk about -- you've been criticized by some who say because you're in a primary battle that you changed a little bit, that you've taken more conservative positions and they go through some particular issues.
Let me bring up a couple.
MCCAIN: Go ahead.
GREGORY: One has to do with the issue of "don't ask don't tell", the prohibition against gays to serve in the military. Back in 2006 on MSNBC this is what you said about your view.
"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."
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mike Mullen, testified earlier this month, this is what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ADMIRAL MIKE MULLEN, CHAIRMAN OF JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: It is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GREGORY: And the head of CentCom General David Petraeus who was on MEET THE PRESS just this past Sunday, said this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GREGORY: Do you think soldiers on the ground in the field care one way or the other if their comrades in arms are gay or lesbian?
GEN. DAVID PETRAEUS, COMMANDER, CENTCOM: I'm not sure that they do. (END VIDEO CLIP)
GREGORY: Why doesn't that meet your standard of 2006 for you to say OK, it's time to change views?
MCCAIN: Because as I said back then, that we need to have a careful examination and Admiral Mullen was as quote, "speaking personally," just this week the commandant of the Marine Corps said, that he did not want "don't ask don't tell" repealed. There are many in the military who do not want to.
We are going to go through hopefully a year-long study that will, hopefully also, have the feelings of the men and women who are serving.
But David, what also the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and the Chief of Staff of the Army pointed out, we're in two wars. We have the highest trained, most professional, best military in history. We have the highest retention, highest recruitment in history. And they are all saying, "Wait a minute, before we change this, let's make sure we go through a careful examination."
Ranging from what you heard Admiral Mullen say his, quote, "personal opinion", to what the commander of the Marine Corps said he doesn't want to change. So it's clear that we need to be very careful as to how we move forward on whether we change this policy.
GREGORY: But if the result of that study is --
MCCAIN: I believe it's working.
GREGORY: -- if we look beyond that, you would side with that?
MCCAIN: If the result of that study is one that I can trust and believe in and is supported by our military leaders, obviously I would have to give that the most serious consideration.
Source.