FRC's Tony Perkins and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) Discuss Law on Homosexuals in the Military

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May 21, 2010, 04:37 ET

"Preemptive Repeal ... Puts Liberal Social Agenda Ahead of National Security," Says Senator on FRC's Washington Watch Weekly Radio

WASHINGTON, May 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Family Research Council President Tony Perkins interviewed Senator John McCain (R-AZ) yesterday on Washington Watch Weekly, Family Research Council's weekly syndicated half-hour radio show. Perkins spoke with the retired naval pilot and American war hero regarding President Obama's efforts to force open homosexuality on the military.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080930/FRCLOGO)

The audio and full transcript of the interview can be downloaded here with partial excerpts of Senator McCain's interview included below.

"...Secretary Gates, to my great disappointment, is conducting a study as to how best to implement it (overturning the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy) – in other words it's a fait accompli because of no other reason than President Obama's campaign promise. The military is at its highest level of effectiveness, morale, equipment, training, professionalism, and why we would want to disrupt that when we're in the middle of two wars is something that I find very, very wrong.

"[Congress] should assess the impact of change in this law on battle effectiveness – we have a military for only one reason, and people join the military for only one reason and that is to fight. ... We have an obligation it seems to me to make sure that we don't do anything that would disrupt or diminish that capability especially when we are in two wars in order to carry out a campaign promise of the President of the United States. ... The Commandant of the Marine Corps has come out flat out saying he opposes repeal – in fact the Commandant of the Marine Corps said that they would have to look at living arrangements that the Marine Corps has, so the implications of this change in law has to be assessed carefully. ... A preemptive repeal without any study, without any assessment on the impact of battle effectiveness is in my view putting our social agenda, or the liberal social agenda, ahead of national security.

"The people that I talk to and know, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, have both come out strongly against the repeal, and certainly even more strongly against a process that would preemptively address an issue which, could, could, I emphasize could – we haven't done the study – could adversely affect the morale and battle effectiveness of the United States military.

"I know that there's a whole lot of other issues out there, the economy, joblessness, Iranian nuclear buildup, immigration, there's a whole lot of other issues, but this issue has significant long-term implication for our ability to defend this nation."

Perkins' interview with Senator McCain will air this weekend nationwide, and can be heard online at FRCRadio.org. Click here to read the full transcript. Link: http://www.frcblog.com/2010/05/perkins-mccain-dadt/.

SOURCE Family Research Council