[jeffkrol]

Apparently he has a not so deep seated homophobia..
Probably brought on by being a POW.... At least that's my theory.
How much evidence does the guy need???????

"I'm troubled by the fact that this report represents the input of 28 percent of the force who received the questionnaire," McCain said. "That is only 6 percent of the force at large, I find it hard to view that as a fully representative sample set, but I am nonetheless weighing the contests of this reports on their merits."

The Armed Services Committee's Democratic staff disputed McCain's claims. They said that combat troops did participate in the survey - just not while they were engaged in combat. Information exchange forums - town hall meeting-type events - weren't conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to committee staff.

Read more: McCain slams Pentagon's 'don't ask, don't tell' study - Politics AP - MiamiHerald.com

[Ratmagiclady]

Apparently he has a not so deep seated homophobia..
Probably brought on by being a POW.... At least that's my theory.
How much evidence does the guy need???????

Actually, he didn't used to be so bad till he like un-'mavericked' and got in bed with the Religious Right during the campaign. I think they broke his head, or he's just trying to get revenge or something.

I should also probably point out that having lost the election he'll be trying to secure some kind of legacy, ie speaking tours, and who'll pay him?

[GeneV]

I watched that speech this morning while on the treadmill. Very sad. Is McCain troubled by the fact that only half the population voted in the election that put his party into power in the house?

The amount of support for repealing DADT in the military is actually quite gratifying. When Truman ordered racial integration of the military, the opposition was overwhelming. In addition, a survey of the military had 86% of the respondents agreeing with the statement, “there is nothing good about Jews.“ Wait, maybe McCain was in the military back then.

[MRRiley]

Another thing that is being missed is that the military members who did not reply to the survey, likely failed to do so because they do not care one way or the other if DADT is repealed. Why do I say this? Because if they felt strongly they would have replied. This conceivably means that the percentages either indifferent to or in favor of repeal is in the 90% range (just an estimates so don't beat me up over the math).

[Ratmagiclady]

Another thing that is being missed is that the military members who did not reply to the survey, likely failed to do so because they do not care one way or the other if DADT is repealed. Why do I say this? Because if they felt strongly they would have replied. This conceivably means that the percentages either indifferent to or in favor of repeal is in the 90% range (just an estimates so don't beat me up over the math).

Worth pointing out. And the survey itself was really biased toward fishing for problems and prompted with a lot of really pretty offensive implications about a number of things. Really fishing for the kinds of problems that McCain apparently wanted to see when he said, 'Wait for the survey results, wait, wait for the finalized survey results, wait, never mind, I'm disregarding the survey anyway... ,' Also, interestingly enough, because of DADT itself, actual LGB troops were advised not to respond.

(Oh, and contrary to what homophobic preachers, pundits, and pols insist while trying to scare people, DADT repeal doesn't actually allow open service for transgendered people at all, so it really isn't about the T in LGBT people except inasmuch as trans people are assumed to be gay regardless of their sexual orientation, or if they're celibate, for that matter. The military calls them mentally-ill, and I understand they just get the heave-ho or worse as having pre-existing mental illness if they ever come out or are found out. )

[Ira]

In addition, a survey of the military had 86% of the respondents agreeing with the statement, “there is nothing good about Jews.“

We're not great on the battlefield. We're more suited to running the canteen.

[GeneV]

We're not great on the battlefield. We're more suited to running the canteen.

On the serious side, there are families of about 300,000 Allied (11,000 U.S.) Jewish soldiers in WWII who were KIA, including a general in charge of a U.S. armored division in France, who might disagree. A friend and former client of mine jumped out of airplanes behind enemy lines despite the fact that the survival rate for captured Jewish and, especially, slavic prisoners was dismal. (90% survival for other U.S. and British POWs in German camps)

[jeffkrol]

hmmm..........

"And his latest trick, he said yesterday that he opposed repealing 'don't ask, don't tell,' a proposal that would be a great stride forward for both equality and military readiness ... because of the economy," Reid added. "I repeat, the senior senator from Arizona said he couldn't support repealing 'don't ask, don't tell' because of the economy.

Harry Reid rips John McCain over 'don't ask, don't tell' - Scott Wong - POLITICO.com

[Ratmagiclady]

Well, I say it a lot, but the only consistency in these anti-gay rationales and delaying tactics is that they're anti-gay.

As if it were good for the economy or mission to train mission-critical troops, investigate them under DADT, kick them out and replace them with less-qualified people by lowering security and other standards.

I'm definitely tired of these people telling me they can invade foreign countries and then rebuild societies, while simultaneously claiming they basically couldn't run a coed dormitory. (And one full of preofessional soldiers sworn to obey, no less.)

Just who the Hel is running this fiasco, anyway?

I'm just glad the dude isn't President.

[GeneV]

The guy just makes me sad these days.

He hasn't learned the lesson that Obama has missed, either: The folks you are trying to please did not love you even when you picked Palin, and they won't really love you now, either.

[Parallax]

We're not great on the battlefield. ...........

Egypt, Jordan, and Syria may dispute that.

[jeffkrol]

McCain loses.......
SCORECARD:
The Heroes and Villains of 'Don't Ask' Repeal | The Atlantic Wire
My fav.

Villain: Sen. Joe Manchin Many observers puzzled over Manchin's decision to skip Saturday's historic vote, which it turns out was for a family Christmas party. The New America Foundation's Steve Clemons chides, "This is a bad punctuation point to his new Senate career - and while there will no doubt be many votes he takes with which I agree with the Senator, this tilt towards perpetuating bigotry rather than service with honor will stain his reputation and his electoral donations for a long time."

and a comment......

This is Sabbath for @JoeLieberman and yet he sacrificed this holy day to push DADT repeal. Manchin goes to Xmas party

AND as to our subject:

Villain: Sen. John McCain Politico's Manu Raju dubs McCain's "new role" as "GOP agitator," writing, "McCain is inserting himself into the biggest issues of the day, acting as a power player again in the Senate and angering Democrats along the way." The Atlantic's Garance Franke-Ruta calls this McCain's "last standing" and says this "is not the first time he's found himself swimming against the tide of history." The Atlantic's Ta-Nehisi Coates shakes his head. "All talk of patriotic sacrifice and the true nature of the senators heart is vaccuous. You are what your record says you are. In this business, here is the record of John McCain."