Do hope gay leaders/activists acknowledge this good man for saying so in a public forum After all, as Vice President, he earned little praise for distinguishing himself from then-President George W. Bush on the Federal Marriage Amendment.
Appearing on ABC’s “This Week”,
[f]ormer Vice President Dick Cheney, who served as defense secretary under President George H.W. Bush, expressed support for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which President Barack Obama has asked Congress to work on this year.
“Society has moved on,” he said. Pointing out that Admiral Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff favors repeal, he said he’s “reluctant to second guess military in this regard,” Cheney said
the first requirement you have to look at all the time whether [military units are] capable of achieving their mission and does the policy change, i.e., putting gays in the force, affect the ability to perform their mission. When the chiefs come forward and say we think we can do it, then it’s strikes me that it’s time to reconsider the policy.
Nice to see that he frames the issue exactly as it should be framed–one of military effectiveness. Let’s hope more people take note of Cheney’s position on the issue.
UPDATE: (Somewhat related): “Cheney ‘a complete supporter’ of Obama Afghanistan Strategy.”
Unless I’m missing something, he didn’t actually call for repealing DADT. There’s a difference between “reconsider” and “repeal.” The interviewer gave him an opportunity say “yes” to whether the policy should be changed and he riffed on how society has changed and mentioned the words of Admiral Mullen. The contrast with his “complete support[]” of Obama’s Afghanistan policy is pretty stark.
Fair point, boomer. Note also my title; it’s why I chose the word “favors” instead of “supports.”
Still, he’s on record as saying it’s time to reconsider. It’s an important step in the right direction.
The military doesn’t exist to conduct grand social experiments at the expense of their mission (I’m thinking of the recent story of the single mother who refused to deploy… what was she doing in the military in the first place?).
For that reason, the decision should be left up to military command with hands-on, day-to-day leadership of the troops. (I don’t trust the top-level brass as much as I used to given the multi-culti claptrap that appeared after the Major Hassan debacle). The troops and their immediate command are the people who will have to function under any policy changes. I think they can do it.
I think the military has a lot of respect for Cheney so my guess is that his comments will make a big difference.
I can understand the commenters about cheney and “favor” — yet in another way, if he had come out stronger with “supports”, who knows how many current admin people would think he was “interefeing” or worse — “dictating”/”demanding” to them.
supports or favors? what a bunch of weasel word BS. I didn’t see Cheney either supporting or favoring the repeal of DADT while he was VP for *8 years*.
4: grand social experiments? What’s your opinion on Truman de-segregating the troops back in 1948? Or other countries which have already changed their policies to allow gays to serve openly? As for the single mother you attack, read a little bit on her case if you don’t understand her situation.
With Mr. Cheney’s profile, all he needs to say is something subtle. He, as the most hardcore of social conservatives, favors repeal of DADT. Consider not whether the word is a weasel word or not, but the force of its impact.
Cheney, Archvillain and UberConservative for decades – serving as Secretary of Defense just prior to DADT creation and implementation – redefines the issue into one social conservatives can support. DADT is now a military readiness issue, with the caveat of the military chiefs stating in so many words ‘the adults are in charge and this will succeed.’
Now it’s time for those who claim to champion gay rights in the military come forward – perhaps a televised event with one of those giant prop-checks with a larger number written on it, made out to the Tea Party, or if necessary the RNC, to further the effort along.
Revolutions are like watching washing machines. They go around and around until one becomes bored or nauseus.
Piggybacking on your update, Administration solves miranda question. No survivors, no need to give them their ‘rights’.
OTOH, those of you supporting Geneva should be pleased.