Frank Rich: Smoke the Bigots Out of the Closet

[cal04]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/opinion/07rich.html

A funny thing happened after Adm. Mike Mullen called for gay men and lesbians to serve openly in the military: A curious silence befell much of the right. If this were a Sherlock Holmes story, it would be the case of the attack dogs that did not bark.

John McCain, commandeering the spotlight as usual, did fulminate against the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” But the press focus on McCain, the crazy man in Washington’s attic, was misleading. His yapping was an exception, not the rule.

Many of his Republican colleagues said little or nothing. The right’s noise machine was on mute. The Fox News report on Mullen’s testimony was fair and balanced — and brief. The network dropped the subject entirely in the Hannity-O’Reilly hothouse of prime time that night. Only ratings-desperate CNN gave a fleeting platform to the old homophobic clichés. Michael O’Hanlon, an “expert” from the Brookings Institution, speculated that “18-year-old, old-fashioned, testosterone-laden” soldiers who are “tough guys” might object to those practicing “alternative forms of lifestyle,” which he apparently views as weak and testosterone-deficient. His only prominent ally was the Family Research Council, which issued an inevitable “action alert” demanding a stop to “the sexualization of our military.”

The occasional outliers notwithstanding, why did such a hush greet Mullen on Capitol Hill? The answer begins with the simple fact that a large majority of voters — between 61 percent and 75 percent depending on the poll — now share his point of view. Most Americans recognize that being gay is not a “lifestyle” but an immutable identity, and that outlawing discrimination against gay people who want to serve their country is, as the admiral said, “the right thing to do.”

[BOSSHOG]

1. "The sexualization of our Military?"

Those wacky family people.

Sexualization? Like when the Navy put women on supply ships in the 70's which quickly became known at Love Boats as the pregnancy rate of women onboard skyrocketed. Imagine service people having sex out of marriage.

[davidpdx]

2. I tend to agree, the Republicans are keeping their mouth shut on purpose

Their strategy looks like to wait and see if the Democrats even bring it up and let McCain look like the crazy loon (I mean we all know he is). In an election year where they are posed to gain seats, they'd be stupid to make much of a deal out of it. Then again, I hope they shoot themselves in the foot.

[deacon]

3. Interesting read. Thanks. n/t

[Selena Harris]

4. What about the teabaggers?

Does anyone know if this was addressed at their Convention in Nashville?

[David Zephyr]

5. K&R.

Thanks cal04.