Wednesday, June 06, 2007

You don't really have a chance of becoming President, but good editorial nonetheless

Here's an excellent editorial by Senator Mike Gravel on the U.S. military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and Hillary Clinton's disingenuous support of it. It's worth a read.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think some of the comments make more sense. I love it when a guy that has no chance to win takes a "couragous" stand that costs him nothing. It's bullshit, frankly. Hilary Clinton has a chance to win and she is being cautious like any front runner would be. I guarantee that if Mike Gravel actually had a ghost of a chance, he wouldn't be writing these kinds of editorials. Gravel is just trying to bring some attention to a hopeless campaign.

As for Truman, everyone always misuses history to support their own agenda. I'm not saying Truman didn't think segregation was wrong (although he was hardly a paragon of racial enlightenment), but it was also a way to get additional black support in the key northern states in an election that was going to be very difficult.

I agree that "don't ask, don't tell" is a disaster. But it's easy for people with nothing to lose to tell other people to fall on their sword.

Ipecac said...

Man, you are cynical.

Anonymous said...

I'm not really cynical but I think it's disingenous for a guy with nothing to lose to expect Clinton to take a position that, for one thing, would be implictly criticizing her husband, and, second, would make her even more of a target for the right-wing. I agree with the idea that it's time to dispense with the silliness that gays can't serve but nothing is really served at this point by getting into this hot water. I have no doubt that Hilary Clinton believes in gay rights and would prefer that they be able to serve in the military.