Clintons Agree On Gay Policy

President Clinton agrees with his wife: the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays isn't working as he'd hoped. In a radio interview with CBS News Correspondents Mark Knoller and Peter Maer, Mr. Clinton said it's time to take another look at the controversial topic.

Knoller: Let me ask you one specific, if I may, on the question of gays in the military. As you no doubt know, the first lady this past week was critical of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. She said it just doesn't work. You weren't going to institute that at the beginning of your presidency, anyway. Why not use the last year of your presidency to institute an end to discriminatory discharges against gays in the military? And what do you think of what the first lady said this week?

Mr. Clinton: Well, first of all, I'm quite sympathetic with what she said. You know, I think that was the position both of us brought to the White House but I think one thing that's maybe not clearly understood is the reason that I went for "don't ask, don't tell" is that it was all I could do. Because I had a clear signal from Congress that if I implemented my policy, they would reverse it by an overwhelming majority. I didn't implement "don't ask, don't tell" until the Senate voted 68-32 against the policy that I wanted.

For me, what's important is that the policy as implemented does not work as I announced it, and as the leaders of our military at that time -- in '93 -- pledged to implement it. I can only hope this last brutal beating death of a gay soldier will give some sobering emphasis to a re-examination of how this policy is implemented and whether we can do a better job of fulfilling its original intent.

Let me remind you that the original intent was that people would not be rooted out, that they would not be questioned out, that this would be focused on people's conduct. And if they didn't violate the code of conduct, and they didn't tell, that their comings and goings, the mail they got, the associates they had, that those things would not be suspicion to keep them out of the military or certainly subject them to harassment.

So, what I'd like to do is to focus on trying to make the policy we announced back in '93 work the way it was intended to, 'cause it's way out of whack now, and I don't think any serious person can say it's not.

Maer: How are you going to do that, sir?

Mr. Clinton: Well, we're working with the Pentagon to do that. I think there's a greater awareness that it's just not being implemented as it was announced and as it was intended. Now,… I don't have any problems with what she says, 'cause that's after all, that's what I said back in '93, and if anybody…you know, if there's a sense in the Congress and in the next White House that that oughta be done, then maybe together they'll have enough votes to do it.