Human Rights Campaign: McCain is "Obstructionist" to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Repeal

The debate over "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is expected to be one of the key issues of Congress' lame duck session as a Pentagon study is due to be released within weeks. On Tuesday's "Washington Unplugged," Bob Schieffer spoke with Brian Moulton of the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign about the fate of the military's policy on gays in the Senate.

"The legislative calendar is short and there are a lot of issues on the table, but we are pushing as hard as we can every day to get the Senate leadership to bring up the Defense Legislative Bill with the repeal of DADT in it - the long standing and discriminatory policy," Moulton said.

The New York Times' Jeff Zeleny said politically it will be hard for President Obama to make any major changes in the coming months. "It is difficult for the president to do anything with this new Congress. I am not sure that Senator McCain is moveable on this," he said. "I am not sure how much that they are willing to invest in this because there are a lot of things on their plate."

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has led much of the Senate Republican opposition to repealing the ban on gay troops serving openly, which has brought the ire of groups calling for its repeal. "Senator McCain seems to keep moving the goal on this," Moulton told Schieffer. "Absolutely, Senator McCain is a tremendous block for the movement of this issue and it seems like we have done everything to satisfy him and he is just being an obstructionist."

"The good thing about this issue is that we are really close to the finish line," Moulton said. "We have folks out in the field across the country in key Senator states trying to move along moderate Republicans."

Moulton continued, "We do think that it is an important priority that should get done and certainly DADT repeal couldn't be more important for our community."

Watch Washington Unplugged above, also featuring interviews with Reps.-elect Allen West (R-Fla.) and Hansen Clarke (D-Mich.) and this week's "Plugged In" with Politico's Kiki Ryan.

[crazyname]

And gay rights groups are activist groups. If they want to fit in, act like regular people, not like you are owed something or need different laws to protect you! Rag on the old man, call him every name in the book. He has more moral character than his accusers. Gays use to be called queer, because the behavior was not considered normal. It is stillnot considered normal by most americans now, and now you have the politically correct name Gay?

[magnumdr]

I get so sick of hearing "gay rights" a sexual choice does not give anyone any kinds of rights, it is nothing more that a sexual preferance and is also tabu. If a person has a sexual preferance to having sex with the opposite sex person do they have straight rights? Stop with the gay rights complaints. It was your personal choice and you have to live with it!

[formrusmcsgt]

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has led much of the Senate Republican opposition to repealing the ban on gay troops serving openly...
----
(repubs like to pretend that gays simply don't exist)

[endurorob_5]

That is a stupid and childish statement.

[bamio]

McCain is just respecting the wishes of the vast majority of military personnel. The biggest problem with repealing DADT is that once gays are identified they become "untouchable" because they'll always claim discrimination. It's better that there be no distinctions between soldiers.

[greenlantern1]

Dear Sirs,
Senator Joseph McCarthy's right hand man, Roy Cohn, died of AIDS!
Was it in the national interest for him to pretend that he was not gay?
Clifford Spencer

[newsbarn]

dont worry, hes an old man and will die off soon enough.

[bamio]

McCain is just respecting the wishes of the vast majority of military personnel. The biggest problem with repealing DADT is that once gays are identified they become "untouchable" because they'll always claim discrimination. It's better that there be no distinctions between soldiers.

[forsanity1]

Not true and there is a detailed questionnaire that proves it.

[_Liann_]

McCain is a gay-baiter, verbal gay-basher, who can't face the facts that likely there were gay POWs at the Hanoi Hilton along with McCain, and surely were gays in his squadron.

McCain is a gay-bashing hater who needs to be labeled as such. He is TRYING to keep gays as inferior citizens.

The CONSTITUTION REQUIRES EVERY CITIZEN to join in the defense of the Republic. No citizen is exempted, no class is exempted. Gay taxes pay military salaries, pay military benefits. McCain is a leech on gay taxpayers, who pay his Senate salary.

[lancesackless]

McCain doesn't need to TRY anything ;)