The Family Research Council and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) both spent a lot of energy this year fighting the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. But that doesn’t mean they’ll be working together to un-repeal it.
FRC claimed in a blog post yesterday that McCain (R-AZ) will continue to lead the fight.
“We’ll be spending the next couple of weeks reassessing the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ debate. In fact, I’ve already been in conversations with Hill leaders about holding hearings in the New Year, as well as statutory and legislative oversight steps that can be taken to turn back aspects of the repeal and slow down–if not stop–the rest,” the post reads.
“Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and others will be working with FRC to put a strict evaluation process in place,” it goes on. “We want to ensure that the Pentagon is monitoring the effect of this radical change on the men and women in harm’s way.”
But a McCain source tells us that’s just not true, noting that “the law has been changed,” and that’s that.
FRC, which was not immediately available for comment, suggests that one way to stop DADT repeal in its tracks is to demand “specific measurables,” including sexual assault statistics. (The FRC, which was designated an anti-gay hate group this year by the Southern Poverty Law Center, has claimed that repealing DADT would lead to an epidemic of same-sex rape in the military.)
“If there’s the slightest disruption to the military’s mission, you can bet that FRC will be on the Hill, demanding to revisit this repeal,” the group said. “And unlike the Senate Majority Leader, we won’t consult Lady Gaga first.”
Despite his past convictions, McCain became an increasingly vocal opponent of DADT repeal over the past year, eventually filibustering the National Defense Authorization Act in order to thwart repeal.
