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Manhattan Diary by Cahir O'Doherty

Cindy McCain blasts husband over Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Posted on Friday, November 12, 2010 at 08:09 AM

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Cindy McCain is now starring in a hard-hitting public campaign that directly tackles Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

If the United States government is sending the message that LGBT people are second class citizens McCain asks, can we really be surprised when they're daily harassed, bullied and attacked in our nations schools and streets?

Her stance puts her at powerful odds with her own husband, Senator John McCain, who enthusiastically supports Don't Ask, Don't Tell and will likely continue to even when a much anticipated internal military study next month confirms that the policy's repeal will have minimal impact on our armed services.

Conservatives are already calling the as yet unseen military report "flawed," and talking about requesting a study of the study - a delaying tactic to postpone what is looking increasingly inevitable.

But beyond the political posturing a rather sad fact is being revealed: the McCain family itself (mother and daughter) stand in dramatic opposition to the policy that John McCain ardently supports.

There can be little doubt that prejudice is at the root of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. It asks us to believe that gay soldiers are less capable, more easily compromised or less efficient soldiers than their heterosexual counterparts. But there has never been a shred of evidence to support that notion. Instead, Cindy McCain is explicitly saying that Don't Ask, Don't Tell sends a toxic message that fosters division and contempt. She's correct.

If the much heralded new military study claims (as it does) that there is no good reason to support the continuation of this anti-gay policy, then its supporters have lost the premise it was built on.

Cindy McCain's opposition reminds us how personally costly it can be to maintain an irrational bias in a country that promises equality to all of its citizens.

Watch her PSA here:

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maloney | Nov 14, 2010, 08:16 AM EST

seano..go back & read my post REAL SLOW. I didn't say you were a bigot. It does put light on the socialist problem of reading something and the weak mind changing the meaning. I support the rights of gay people and their lefts, seano. Just not DADT.

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seanomelbourne | Nov 13, 2010, 06:52 PM EST

I am a bigot because I support the rights of gay people?? Maloney that's a silly argument. I read now that Cindy now supports her husband stance on DADT She's just another flip flopper like her husband.

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fedupgeo | Nov 13, 2010, 04:14 PM EST

I am so damn fed up with the special attention Cindy and Megan get. If they did not Disagree with THE Senator they would get no pub. Cindy is knowing or unknowing stabbing her husband in the back with this kind of loose lip KRAP! On the other hand Megan is an uneducated spoiled litte bRAT. She has accomplished nothing more than making it through the birth canal. Where in HELL does she think she is coming from that gives her the stage to blabber from???? My simple advice ................. SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!

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hollabackgurl | Nov 13, 2010, 09:39 AM EST

This is the problem with modern society. She should remain in the kitchen cooking her husband's dinner and just keep her mouth shut. Who want's to hear his wife's opinion?

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maloney | Nov 13, 2010, 08:31 AM EST

Your right pittsburgh, I always wondered why McCain had no backbone with everything he went through in the military. Also wondered how his daughter turned out so stupid. Now we know all the balls in the McCain family belong to Cindy & no brains among the lot of them.

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Pittsburghkid | Nov 12, 2010, 10:27 PM EST

I knew McCain was hen picked. Does the women have no respect for her husband? This is the problem with modern society. If Cindy McCain want a voice in the public theater, then she should have gotten on her own. Cindy McCain is only relievent because she is married to John McCain. She has no standing on her own, but she uses the standing provided by her husband to humiliate him.

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maloney | Nov 12, 2010, 08:25 PM EST

Seano's full of beans & roo meat. In a combat roll, there was a small percent of gays who performed to standard. The majority could not cut it. Some lost it, most were moved out of a combat roll. All were given the same treatment as anyone else. seano, you were never in the U.S. military. Sorry the country you served was bigoted.

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Rebelforce | Nov 12, 2010, 07:57 PM EST

This isn't even a question of IF we should have gays serving in the military. We already know gay men and women are in the military....lots of them. Even John Macain has acknowledged serving in the Vietnam War with men who were gay, albeit closeted. The question we are faced with is should these gay soldiers be allowed to fight for their country with integrity and honesty about who they are? The answer to that question by all decent, freedom-loving Americans should be, OFCOURSE YES.

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1IrishMedic | Nov 12, 2010, 07:33 PM EST

Mrs. McCain, Thank you for being a leader in this aspect of life and history. As a veteran I have never seen an incident of disparity with straight or gay military people. Tell your husband to move into the 21st century. I doubt he'll see this anyway, but I had to express my opinion.

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seanomelbourne | Nov 12, 2010, 06:37 PM EST

The treatment of gays generally during the 70's and before was homophobic and their treatment in the military was despicable.If gays were treated equally in the forces they would be as good a fighter as anyone else.

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maloney | Nov 12, 2010, 05:29 PM EST

GuinnessGrrl..the young gentleman who gave wikileaks thousands of pages of military info, some classified costing allied lives, was a gay enlisted in the military. What he did was treason, I hope they don't shoot him. Gays in the military just wasn't meant to be. I saw several cases to back this up during my time in the military. Vietnam vet 70 & 71. Korea 72& 73.

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eiriamach | Nov 12, 2010, 04:29 PM EST

This is "Irish news" because it targets a problem that exists in Irish-American communities. That's not to deny that other ethnic groups harbor bigots as well, but with issues in the news like the St. Pat's Parade commission excluding gays--just look at the articles on this site--the image of Irish America ain't lookin' good these days.

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hollabackgurl | Nov 12, 2010, 03:43 PM EST

If John McCain's own wife and daughter believe that his work promotes bigotry (and this public service announcement demonstrates they do) how on earth do they all face each other at the dinner table? Talk about family values!

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Siobhan39 | Nov 12, 2010, 02:32 PM EST

Why is this Irish news?

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eiriamach | Nov 12, 2010, 02:00 PM EST

I support Cindy's cause, but this video sends no clear message about how to reduce the teen LGBT suicide rate. Its causal analysis is, in general terms, right: Political and religious leaders oppose equal rights for LGBT citizens; in turn, adolescents feel they have a license for bigotry, and they express it in hate speech and bullying. I cannot advocate depriving anyone--even a bully--of freedom of speech. But we should be teaching children, especially vulnerable youth, how to exercise their own freedom of speech against bigots who spew hate speech on line and in other people's faces. And anyone who cares about youth and about living in a tolerant society can challenge conservative politicians and bishops and priests to stop the cycle of hatred that begins with their opposition to equal rights for all citizens. We can continue to debate what to do about hate speech, but we can't afford silence about it any longer.

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