Another Republican Debate, Another Mistake

At last weeks debate Fox News anchor Meghan Kelly brought forth a question from a soldier serving in Iraq. The soldier who stated on camera he was gay asked the candidates how they would treat the fact that Don't Ask, Don't Tell had been repealed and that now hundreds of soldiers who have come out would be caught in legal limbo.

Rick Santorum who answered the question made an argument about how gay soldiers compromised our armed forces for a social expirement. He did not address what would happen to these soliders such as the questioners but one can expect that the answer would not be to embrace these soldiers.

The bigger issue in terms of the election, for who really expects Republicans to embrace anything close to gay rights, was that at the end of his question the soldier was audibly booed by members of the debate audience. Even more telling not one of the candidates on stage felt compelled to correct the crowd that this was a soldier putting his life at risk.

The lack of courage to say what is right, to do what is right or perhaps not knowing what is right and decent is appaling. It is hard to see how independent votes can be gained by a party that can be seen as in the last three weeks as cheering executions, wishing uninsured patients to die and now booing gay soldiers.

It is a sad state of affairs that even common decency cannot be part of the forum.