McCain: ‘Don’t Ask’ is not a civil rights issue

Things got a little testy on Thursday wen Ana Marie Cox of Air America squared off with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

McCain said he supports the policy because military experts, including former Secretary of State Colin Powell, recommended it.

The 2008 GOP presidential nominee also said that he does not consider the policy a civil rights issue on the same level as desegregating the military.

McCain also said that because the military is voluntary, homosexuals who join the military know the “Don’t Ask” policy exists when they enlist.

Check out the audio of the interview here.

Interestingly, the Air America website says that McCain said he would have investigated whether the policy still matters if he had won the election last year. That would be more than President Obama has done so far. I have listened to the clip though, and I don’t hear that. Am I missing something?

jeremy.jacobs@digital-stage.thehill.com