Rudy on Gays in the Military: Not Now

Despite all the talk among presidential candidates and United States generals, Rudy Giuliani doesn't think it's an appropriate time to be debating "don't ask, don't tell."

Here's the emailed response to a question I put to his campaign yesterday:

"We're at war and now isn't the time to question our military's admissions policy."

The statement is part of a pattern for Giuliani, who has a strong record on gay rights issues, but is simultaneously trying to avoid a) overt flip-flops on his liberal social positions and b) statements that might alienate his party's conservative base.

Giuliani's rivals both support current military policy.

On Thursday, Sen. John McCain's said at a New York fund-raiser that, after conferring with military leaders, he felt the policy was working.

"I think it's logical to leave this issue alone," he said.

Mitt Romney's spokesman, Kevin Madden, said, "Gov. Romney supports 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' He agrees with the president's decision to maintain the policy."

It's worth noting that Giuliani has been finessing this issue for years.

Back in December of 1999, when Hillary Clinton first voiced criticisms of the "don't ask" compromise forged by her husband, Giuliani -- who was gearing up to run against her at the time -- avoided giving a clear answer on the issue.

"I'm going to take a look at it," he said.

--Jason Horowitz
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Fidel (not verified) says:

Will he be looking at it while dressed in his favorite Marilyn Monroe gear?

Thou Shalt Fraternize With Subordinates! (not verified) says:

Or while he ponders how the military would have thrown his own draft-dodging butt out of the service if his second wife's charges regarding his amorous relationship with his flack were proven true?

VJ Machiavelli (not verified) says:

TO SERVE MAN

My lates post www.r8ny.com

I don't know how many people have ever seen this episode of The Twilight Zone.

It was my favorite.

An advance race comes here, they claim they want to help us

They give us advanced technology

But what they really want is to "EAT US"

or how about

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Here they come to warn us of our "War Like Ways"

What does all this have to do with anything you ask, a great deal

In 20 months we will be electing a President.

On 1/20/2009 at noon he or she will be sworn in.

Now let us say that at 3PM on that day we get a visitor from........

Who do you want to meet and deal with the "VISITOR"

Are you crazy, out of your mind, get real

This election is about who has the "Vision" and "Leadership" for the Future

We need to start asking how would you prepare us for that day.

But everyone is still asking the same old questions, Abortion, Gay Marriage, etc etc these are meaningless.

We are entering era of the "Brave New World" and the "IPOD"

The "IPOD" represents Moores Law: on the advancement of Computer chips and the technology to make them.

Approximately every eighteen months the "IPOD" gets smaller and doubles in capacity

Soon it will be small enough to fit into a button, and then into your brain.

It's time we start asking different questions.

To truly understand you need to read the following books.

"The Singularity is Near"
www.singularity.com

"Fantastic Voyage:Live Long Enough to Live Forever" www.fantastic-voyage.net

The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence"
"The Age of Intelligent Machines"

ALL by Ray Kurzweill
www.kurzweilAL.net

"Nano" by Ed Regis

BEING HUMAN
President's Council on Bioethics www.bioethics.gov/bookshelf.

National Nanotechnology Initiative
www.nano.gov

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