Inhofe wrongly claims that a ‘majority’ of Americans think repealing DADT would hurt ‘unit cohesion.’
Inhofe wrongly claims that a ‘majority’ of Americans think repealing DADT would hurt ‘unit cohesion.’
Yesterday, the New York Times’ Room for Debate blog hosted a conversation about how repealing the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy banning openly gay men and women from serving would “affect the military ranks.” Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), who supports continuing the ban, claimed that “a majority of the American people” agree with “section 571 of the 1994 National Defense Authorization Act, which states”:
The presence in the armed forces of persons who demonstrate a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts would create an unacceptable risk to the high standards of morale, good order and discipline, and unit cohesion that are the essence of military capability.
But Inhofe is wrong about the views of the American people. Last week, the Quinnipiac Polling Institute released a comprehensive poll showing that not only do a majority of Americans support repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, but 58 percent of Americans reject “the argument that allowing openly gay men and women to serve would be divisive.” This includes 56 percent of voters with family in the military. (HT: TPM DC)
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Inhofe wrongly claims that a ‘majority’ of Americans think repealing DADT would hurt ‘unit cohesion.’
– - Uh huh, and integrating blacks into the military hurt “unit cohesion” too, right wingnuts? Get the hell over yourselves.
May 4th, 2009 at 7:41 pmSen Inhofe,
I believe the fact that you have little or no experience with gay people in your life has led you to believe things you’ve heard that were not true. I do not believe that your opinions are informed ones.
May 4th, 2009 at 7:45 pmProving yet again that Repubs have absolutely no connection with reality. Do they EVER do any research, or listen to the public? No– they invent their own lies & put them forth as “facts”. Liars, smearers, bigots, & ignorants– that’s the GOP, and they prove that every day with their useless, anti-American diatribes. And, of course, their complete obstruction of the American Government. Really– they are “insurgents” which in Repub talk = terrorists. Yet they still don’t get it.
May 4th, 2009 at 7:47 pmI wonder if Inhofe has visited American prisons lately? Seems that even STRAIGHT men will have sex with other men just for the sheer pleasure of it!
Holding a gun, firing a gun, or following military commands can be done by gay people too! Isn’t that neat, Inhofe?
May 4th, 2009 at 7:49 pmMy father was a tank Sargent in the late 50’s/early 60’s and he has always described his soldiers in his unit as no different than the Welcome Back Kotter guys, meaning, some were black, some were white, some were Hispanic, and yes, some were like Horseshack. Love that!
May 4th, 2009 at 7:51 pmAs a gay man, it is an insult to me when right-wingers claim that I sign up to serve my country simply to engage in sexual acts. What few realize is that this ban extends to off-duty actions that have no impact on the mission at hand, as well. Shame on you, Mr. Inhofe.
May 4th, 2009 at 7:56 pmWhy are Repugs terrified of gays? I honestly think that in their past, these guys may have had a homosexual experience it their past(Most young men do)and are either terrified someone will find out or our ashamed to admit their own behavior. I just don’t get it. I would rather hang out with a gay or lesbian than a Righie Repug anyday of the week.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:00 pmIsn’t this the doofus who claimed there wasn’t a single gay person in his family tree?
Just Neanderthals, I guess…
May 4th, 2009 at 8:04 pmdarrylize the platoon, company, battalion, regiment, brigade, division, expeditionary force!
May 4th, 2009 at 8:06 pmnominee to be commanding general, I Marine Expeditionary Force and marine forces central: joseph f. dunford!!!!!
May 4th, 2009 at 8:07 pmthe marines have the best general-like generals of any service!
May 4th, 2009 at 8:09 pmyep, those republicans are really working on their new image..
May 4th, 2009 at 8:17 pmWrong?
May 4th, 2009 at 8:19 pmThey don’t care if they’re wrong — their message got out; many people will take them at their word, it was heard on TV and reported as such. That’s all they need.
Catapault the propaganda.
I wonder if the KKK knows it’s recruiting gay soldiers to it’s clan? Huh. I wonder. I bet they hadn’t thought about that!
May 4th, 2009 at 8:20 pmAnother Repub proving again that they are dishonest & liars.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:21 pmRepugs are inexplicitly afraid of gays — but I don’t know why they, as a group, are so afraid or opposed.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:24 pmAre they obsessed with sexual activity?
JtP was quoted today as saying that he wouldn’t let his kids near a “queer.” When people have that kind of mentality, they are willfully ignorant, and most Americans are not in that category.
But people who think like that are primarily in the republican party. It’s a kind of sick group think.
Uh oh. Joe the Plumber was a “plumber in the military” (emphasis mine):
Question: There has been some confusion amongst the media with regards to your name and occupation. Could you provide some clarification?
Yep, Joe was one of those gays in the military we’ve heard about! LOL
May 4th, 2009 at 8:26 pmall of that semen from gay sex can keep the unit cohesive. ahahahahahahahaha.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:33 pmSo women enlist in the military to get laid, huh?
May 4th, 2009 at 8:34 pmnotice how kay from maine only shelters the cutest pets and doesn’t bother with the ‘undesirables’.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:36 pmAnd gay men enlist in the military for the sex.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:36 pmInhofe is at it again spewing nonsense. And what is it with rethuglicans like Inhofe always saying a ‘majority of Americans’ or Americans prefer this or that? Just a load of BS. They’ve proven time and again that they know nothing about what Americans want or need.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:37 pmThat’s all those Republicans can think about is sex, sex, sex.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:37 pmno the liberals do that!
May 4th, 2009 at 8:42 pmAs a resident of the hell hole known as Oklahoma, I want to scream every time Inhofe opens his mouth.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:51 pmI have served in the Army for fifteen years, and I plan to stay in the Army as long as they’ll let me. There are three openly gay soldiers in my unit, and they haven’t had any negative impact on unit cohesion. They’re actually among the hardest working soldiers I have because they have so much to prove.
To my knowledge, Inhofe has never said anything intelligent or truthful in his life.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:51 pmStandard GOP policy–Never let reality get in the way of your rhetoric.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:52 pmSeems like the rethugs use anything they can to keep us all in fear. Thankfully, the people that actually buy into the BS are in the minority. And yeah, the rethuglicans do seem to be obssessed with sex.
May 4th, 2009 at 9:18 pmHmmm…
Perhaps the REAL issue here for GOOPers is that if DADT were repealed, oh so many of them would have one less reason for avoiding military service…
May 4th, 2009 at 9:23 pmWhen have facts ever meant anything to Senator In-hoax?
May 4th, 2009 at 9:37 pmROTFL, ya gotta love political Mumbo Jumbo
RT
May 4th, 2009 at 9:50 pmPrivacy Center
wiley Says:
So women enlist in the military to get laid, huh?
May 4th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
I hadn’t thought of that route….
May 4th, 2009 at 9:53 pmwiley Says:
So women enlist in the military to get laid, huh?
May 4th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Really? Is this something new?
May 4th, 2009 at 10:41 pmBecause it sure didn’t seem that way when I was in.
I was a woman in the military. It isn’t true, but you might be surprised at how often I heard it was. Gay men aren’t there looking for sex or husbands either.
May 4th, 2009 at 11:38 pmneoparasite can not help himself. Begging for pity is all he knows. He is a moron. Stupid and pathetic. Self respect like higher brain function will forever be a pipe dream for him. What a punkass troll.
May 4th, 2009 at 11:43 pmWhat is it about Texas and Oklahoma. Two conjoined states. Texas wants to secede and claims the playoffs are a communist plot. Oklahoma gives us Inhofe with all his gafes – this time that people join the Army for the Sex.
May 4th, 2009 at 11:44 pmPerhaps it WOULD hurt unit cohesion for a while. The thing is this is the EXACT same argument they used to say they couldnt integrate BLACKS into military units. They Truman said the WOULD and the military got over it. The military is under civilian authority. They can just get over it. Just like they did last time this argument didnt work
May 4th, 2009 at 11:58 pmAnd women. You wouldn’t believe how many stupid arguments I’ve heard or women not being in the military, and most of them involved the apparent uncontrollable sexual desires of men.
May 5th, 2009 at 12:01 amfor women not being..
May 5th, 2009 at 12:01 amThe Brits integrated teh Gays into their services nine years ago. And it all worked out OK.
Culturally, they are probably the military that is closest to ours (lets face it, our view of the Dutch as very permissive means their gay integration [in 1973!] does not impress most Americans in the same way). British COs made the same excuses that Inhofe and some Generals still make here.
But a few years into allowing British gays and lesbians to serve, their military made an astonishing discovery. It has gone very smoothly. How a-mazing!
May 5th, 2009 at 12:33 amTeh stupid is strong in this one. ~ Yoda
May 5th, 2009 at 12:33 amI dated a Dutch solder once. They could wear eye shadow in uniform. That’s being secure in your sexuality.
May 5th, 2009 at 12:37 am.
Dear Oklahoma,
James Inhofe should be OUThofe by now!
XXOO
America
.
May 5th, 2009 at 1:53 amwhy anyone would expect Inhoffe to display any sense of intelligent commentary is beyond me… this guy is “the” poster-by for racist, bigoted hote-mongering if there ever was one.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:03 amHe is a disgrace. We will realize real change when this whacko gets his deserved flush into irrelevant oblivion…
Inhoffe makes Joe the Plumber look enlightened.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:07 amfor women not being..burun estetigi
May 5th, 2009 at 5:35 amI THANK
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The “cohesion” argument is ridiculous. I would think that an official policy which requires you to lie to your buddies or face expulsion from the service would hurt unit cohesion far more than being open about your sexuality. And then of course the actual expulsion of a buddy from the service for violating the policy is definitely going to affect unit cohesion.
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