McCain Obstinate In Defense Of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' Ignores Testimony Before His Committee

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) seemed like he was about to lose his temper during a press briefing Tuesday after Republicans filibustered the defense appropriations bill over a measure that would have repealed the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) held a briefing in the Senate press gallery immediately following the vote. McCain grew increasingly obstinate when pressed on the military's history of actively seeking out gay troops to be dismissed under the policy.

WATCH:

Of course, as ThinkProgress notes, the Senate Armed Services Committee -- on which McCain serves as the ranking Republican -- heard testimony just this past March from servicemembers who said their sexual orientation was actively investigated, including by searches of their private emails.

A transcript of McCain's confrontation with the press appears below:

MCCAIN: We do not go out and seek. Regulations are, we do not go out and seek to find out if someone's sexual orientation. We do not!

ADVOCATE REPORTER KERRY ELEVELD: But senator, that's not...

MCCAIN: That is the fact! That is the fact. Now ma'am, I know the military very well, and I know what's being done. And what is being done is that they are not seeking out people who are gay. And I don't care what you say, I know it's a fact.

ELEVELD: It's not what I say.

MCCAIN: I dont' care what you say! And I don't care what others say. I've seen it in action. I've seen it in action. I have sons in the military, I know the military very well. So they're not telling you the truth.

ELEVELD: Senator, just to make sure...

MCCAIN: Just to make sure. We do not go out and seek out and find out....

ELEVELD: Private emails are not being searched? Private emails are not being searched?

MCCAIN: ...See if someone is gay or not. We do not go out and see whether someone is gay or not.

ELEVELD: There are documented cases...

MCCAIN: They do not, they do not, they do not. You can say that they are, you can say [inaudible] it's not true!... Yea, I'd like to see...

GEIDNER: It is the case of Mike Almy, Senators.

MCCAIN: Bring them to our office. It is not the policy, it is not the policy, it is not the policy.

GEIDNER: But it is the case that it's happening, Senator.

MCCAIN: It is not the policy, it is not the policy, it is not the policy You can say that it is the policy, sir if you choose to. It is not the policy. I would be glad to get that to you in writing.

Comments

[bantrybay]

11:30 PM on 11/13/2010

OMG, he has browbeat her to change her mind. Just as he calls her the "c" word and other abusive things. She is unstable to stay with him. God knows, she could do better and she is the one who as the money. He is mentally unstable, ineffective and extreme...he is old and bad for this country to say nothing of Arizona as sad as that state is! What could possess this old man to continue this hatred? He has vasilated to extremes and spews ugliness everywhere. He really is a perfect example of the sick GOP.

[XTABAY]

01:36 PM on 10/13/2010

Oh, Lindsey can't you convince Johnny?

[crimghost]

12:43 PM on 10/13/2010

Mr McCain, the military you know, the military of the Vietnam war is now a different beast, so is the society you envision, and so is America 2010. Intolerance in all of it's ugly forms is dead.

[Carla Ownwomon]

10:30 PM on 10/09/2010

Oh please don't re-elect this demented man back into the senate. Come on Arizona, I know there are many of us who can see how this guy waffles back and forth to feed his own ego. No one can deny that he is a real life war hero, but he has done nothing for Arizona for the last 30 years he has run on his hero status. He has blocked progress, chosen Sarah Palin without vetting her, and now he stomps his feet and yells that he is correct against all the evidence that he is not. Wake up Arizona! Retire this guy before he embarrasses himself and our state again.

[Little Kiwi]

08:09 PM on 09/29/2010

I don't get it....so many other countries allow their LGBT Citizens to serve openly... what possible reason could there be for saying that Americans won't be able to handle it?

http://littlekiwilovesbauhaus.blogspot.com/2010/09/what-company-do-you-keep.html

[AZterritory]

11:28 AM on 09/27/2010

McCain's been in Washington for almost 3 decades, and all I got was a lousy T-shirt that says "Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran".

[cybersleuth58]

09:11 PM on 09/23/2010

Forget to take your Aricept today, John?

[require accountability]

01:58 PM on 09/23/2010

They must have turned off the camera shortly before he put his hands over his ears and started shouting "La, la, la, la! I can't hear you! I can't hear you!"

[VanessaFas]

01:36 PM on 09/23/2010

Wow! This doesn't seem like the same pulled-together guy who ran for president a few years ago. Maybe he's taking a page ou of Sarah Palin's playbook, just screaming about something else, demanding change, but not helping to do anything.

[Junie B]

02:06 PM on 09/23/2010

He DID choose Sarah Palin to be his running mate. That sounds deranged to me. Talk about a Pandora's Box. Can't stand either of them.

[Jimtoday]

12:43 AM on 09/23/2010

McCain is deranged, and is hopefully headed for the glue factory. He is a moral degenerate.

[imaspaceboy]

10:36 PM on 09/22/2010

so... is saying that it's not the policy?

[keysbreezin]

10:15 PM on 09/22/2010

I think it's time to change his Depends and put Cranky John to bed.

[charles116]

10:06 PM on 09/22/2010

He didn't ignore the testimony BEFORE HIS OWN committee.
He didn't remember it.
Why, at 2:30 PM. he couldn't tell you what he had for lunch.
AND HE EATS THE SAME THING every day.

[elkhawk]

08:10 PM on 09/22/2010

Just another example of why he was not elected. His dementia is showing.

[Dosadi]

06:01 PM on 09/22/2010

He just keeps saying that it can't be true because that is not our policy.  This guy has lost it.  Torture is not our policy but we did it.

[jcabowers]

06:09 PM on 09/22/2010

Senator McCain: Dementia or hypocrisy. Your choice.

[charles116]

10:07 PM on 09/22/2010

70/30

[Poppop1952]

11:58 PM on 09/22/2010

Hypocrit