Arizona Sen. John McCain, almost certainly a contender for the White House in 2008, wants you and me to believe that he is a straight-talker. At least that's what his carefully-crafted reputation is all about.
For a straight-talker, though, McCain seemed caught off-guard when ABC political correspondent George Stephanopoulos recently asked him a simple question on national television: "Senator, do you support gay rights?"
In a moment that conjured images of his friend John Kerry, McCain said that he supports gays rights, but he believes in firing gay people from the military, although he opposes "discriminating against any American," and he opposes discrimination in the workplace.
Whether or not one cares about the gays-in-the-military issue in particular, McCain's mixed-messaging appears to send a strong signal about his willingness to be a true straight-talker when it comes to difficult topics.
For starters, it is impossible be in favor of gay rights and in favor of firing gay people from the military. If you are a straight-talker, you need to be honest and choose one or the other.
Moreover, you cannot be in favor of firing gay people from the military and opposed to discrimination in the workplace. Again, you cannot be a straight-talker and have it both ways. You get to choose only one.
Finally, if you want to fire Arabic linguists from the military just because they are gay, you need to be honest and explain why doing so is good for national security.
Rather than hiding behind platitudes, you need to explain why, even though Israel's, Britain's and 22 other militaries have successfully integrated gays and lesbians, you think American soldiers are not professional enough to follow orders.
And you need to explain why, even though 80 percent of troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq are telling pollsters that they are comfortable interacting with gays, you are still relying on outdated ideas to support your policy positions.
It is widely known in Washington that Sen. McCain has had senior, openly gay staff members for years. If he is comfortable sharing the details of his political operation with such staffers, can we truly believe that he would refuse to serve alongside them in a foxhole?
Something doesn't add up here. Which is precisely the point. With all his poll-tested hedging, we can't tell where Sen. McCain really stands. That is a disturbing sign for any voter who wants to send a straight-talker to the White House.
By all accounts, voters are hungry for leaders who speak plainly and simply from the heart. Gay rights are only the beginning of a long and winding road through tough moral decisions that Sen. McCain will face in seeking the presidency. I only hope his Straight-Talk Express does not land at the bottom of a ditch.
(Originally published in Arizona Star, December 4, 2006)
http://www.azstarnet.com/opinion/158704