The Ghost Whisperer
DADT repeal has been a hot topic this year, and surprisingly uncontroversial. The repeal is supported by more than 70% of Americans. John McCain has become one of the leaders in Congress against DADT-repeal. At one point during the hearing, McCain showed a letter which he claimed had been retired military officers against the repeal. A group called Servicemembers United researched McCain’s letter and found it was not quite as compelling as McCain represented it to be.
However, a new Servicemembers United report obtained in advance by DC Agenda severely undermines the legitimacy of this letter. Some of the problems:
– The average age of the officers is 74. The “oldest living signer is 98, and several signers died in the time since the document was published.” Servicemembers United Executive Director Alex Nicholson added that only “a small fraction of these officers have even served in the military during the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ period, much less in the 21st century military,” so it’s hard to believe that they “know how accepting and tolerant 18- and 21-year-olds are today.”
– “At least one signer, Gen. Louis Menetrey, was deceased when the letter was published and didn’t sign the document himself. According to a footnote on the letter, his wife signed the document for him after his death using power of attorney — six years after Alzheimer’s disease robbed him of the ability to communicate.”
– One signatory said that they “no longer want to be a part of the letter, writing to the organization, ‘I do not wish to be on any list regarding this issue.‘”
– Multiple generals said they “never agreed” to sign the letter in the first place, writing “I never agreed. To represent either side of this issue” and “I do not remember being asked about this issue.”
– At least seven officers “were involved in scandals tarnishing their careers.” Gen. Carl Mundy, for instance, gained negative publicity when he told CBS’s 60 Minutes that “minority officers do not shoot as well as the non-minorities.”
In June 2009, a PBS’s Ray Suarez also did a report on the letter, reporting, “The NewsHour contacted a number of four-star officers requesting an interview for this story. However, none agreed to speak to us on camera. One general expressed surprise his name was even on the list, since he says he had never agreed to sign the letter, and at least three officers listed as signatories are dead.”
So, to recap – the signatories are mostly elderly (not surprising given the generational gap in perceptions of LGBT); not all signatories actually signed; not all are distinguished and not all are even alive.
Nice work John McCain! Seriously though, has there ever been a more pathetic sight than the fall of John McCain? Just over one year ago, he was the man who might be president. Now, he’s the anti-gay ghost whisperer – conservative backbencher who stands a good chance of losing his Senate seat.
Tags: DADT, John McCain, LGBT
This is what I think has been most misunderstood about John McCain. He’s not really all that mavericky. Mostly, he’s bitter, vindictive, and a really bad loser. The only way in which he’s a maverick is the fact that he’s willing to take any position, so long as he thinks it will hurt some he holds a grudge against — usually the last person who beat him or crossed him. He didn’t all of a sudden become less conservative after 2000, he was just pissed that he lost to Bush and decided that he would do whatever he could to make W’s life difficult.
It’s also the easy explanation for his turn against DADT. I beleive that in his heart he feels the way he did a few years ago, which is basically that if the military leaders say it’s time for it to go, then he’d go along with it. However, now Obama (the last man to defeat him) is for lifting the ban, so he can’t bring himself to agree, even though the conditions he set for himself have been met. He’s not some brave, principled maverick. He’s just a vindictive douche. Which really makes him not all that unusual.
Scott, I agree but I also think that McCain is trying to do a serious tack to his right because of his primary challenger in AZ-Sen race.
Yes, UI, that has certainly had an effect on his positioning the last few months. Must be tough when you spend your whole career trying to convince people that you’re one thing, then all of a sudden that thing ain’t so cool anymore.
Yeah, that’s why I find him so pathetic. He doesn’t have the strength of any beliefs.
The point where he lost me is easy to pinpoint. It’s when he flipped on torture. I was always really in his corner on that one when he stood up to his fellow republicans during the torture debate, and always really angry when they would question he motives. i mean the man was tortured, maybe you could lay off of him and let him buck the trend on this one right?
When he turned his back on that and became pro-waterboarding etc. (i think in the primaries?) I just couldn’t forgive him. How could he turn his back on something he’d been so viscerally against for political gain? ugh. Ever since i’ve just not believed a word he said.
John Mc Cain was NEVER TORTURED.He went BELLY UP,like a two dollar whore from the THREAT of being tortured.He was seperated almost immediatly from the other prisoners upon capture due to the undeniable fact that his father was commander of ALL forces in the PACIFIC!Mc Cain was treated for his injuries immediatly and was so thankful that he sang like a caged bird to his captors!He’s a punk,always has been,always will be.If I had been in the Hanoi Hilton with him,he’d have never come home.You just can’t survive 100 shivs in the back which is what he deserves,even today!
The point where he lost me was when he knuckled under to Rove after the SC primary and accepted a deal to be the GOP nominee in 2008. I was actually on his mailing list until then. True story.