re: #111 darthstar

I’ve been waiting for someone else to point out the obvious in defense of McCain but it looks like it has been left to me.

2007: thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com

McCain Backs ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

2008: cnn.com

McCain said: “…I don’t think there’s any doubt that there are evolving attitudes in America about many issues, including this one, but every military leader that I talk to, I say ‘Should we change it?’ They say, ‘It’s working.’ And right now we’ve got the best military we’ve ever had — the most professional, best trained, equipped and the bravest. And so I think it’s logical to leave this issue alone. I really do.”

and 2009: thinkprogress.org

McCAIN: But in all due respect, right now the military is functioning extremely well in very difficult conditions. We have to have an assessment on recruitment, on retention and all the other aspects of the impact on our military if we change the policy. In my view, and I know that a lot of people don’t agree with that, the policy has been working and I think it’s been working well.

There are more than a few senators who take their positions seriously and they get quite peeved when someone steps out of line. Sen. Byrd and Sen. Specter both made a habit of slapping people down who neglected to take the role of the senate seriously enough. McCains beef with the General seems to fall under that catagory.