McCain Against Avowed Gays in Military
Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Sunday that there was no reason an avowed homosexual could not serve as president someday, but he opposed openly gay people serving in the military.
In a telephone interview with Reuters, the Arizona senator said a candidate’s religion or sexual orientation should not be a bar to the presidency.
“People make judgments based on a candidate’s qualifications,” he said. “I don’t think that would rule anybody out.” McCain has emerged as chief challenger to Texas Gov. George W. Bush for the Republican presidential nomination.
On Sunday, both McCain and publisher Steve Forbes said the Clinton administration’s policy barring open homosexuals from military service works and should be preserved. Bush has also endorsed the Clinton policy, but both Democrats running for president have disowned the idea.
On “Fox News Sunday,” Forbes said: “The military is not an institution for social engineering. It has a very real role of protecting us.”
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