Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has long been a supporter of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the policy which prohibits openly gay men and women from serving in the military. But his support has been predicated on top military leaders supporting it, especially Colin Powell, the former chairman of the joint chiefs who helped institute the policy in 1993.
And now Powell, in a statement released today, has announced that he fully supports the efforts to repeal DADT.
Will McCain change his mind?
He hasn’t spoken about the policy publicly since Powell announced his support, and his spokeswoman did not return a request for comment. So we’ll have to wait and see.
After the current chairman of the joint chiefs, Adm. Michael Mullen, yesterday threw his support behind repealing DADT, a McCain spokeswoman brushed it aside. She said McCain’s opposition to a repeal hadn’t changed, because Mullen was speaking on his own behalf and not that of the military.
McCain was citing Powell’s support for the policy as recently as last week (even though Powell has been saying for years that DADT should be reviewed).
In an appearance on Fox and Friends last Thursday, McCain gave a list of reasons describing why repealing DADT is a “bad idea,” as host Steve Doocy put it.
“It was a policy developed in the Clinton administration. General Colin Powell was one of the major factors. It is working. We have the best trained, best equipped, most professional military in two wars,” McCain said.
He has been citing Powell for years. In 1999, according to the Boston Herald:
I support the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy because Gen. Colin Powell, Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, all of the military leaders that I respect and admire came up with this policy … They thought it was the best way to address a very difficult problem within our military.
In 2009, he gave an interview to Air America (h/t Think Progress):
My opinion is shaped by the view of the leaders of the military. The reason why I supported the policy to start with is because General Colin Powell, who was then the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the one that strongly recommended we adopt this policy in the Clinton administration. I have not heard General Powell or any of the other military leaders reverse their position.
In 2006, he answered a question at a Hardball-sponsored town hall (again via TP):
We have to have the most effective and professional military that we can possibly obtain. I listen to people like General Colin Powell, Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and literally every military leader that I know.
Late update: McCain’s spokeswoman, Brooke Buchanan, tells TPM the senator has no plans to change his stance until Gates’ and Mullen’s policy review is over.
