Gays Deserve Better: Reactions to General Pace Prove Cowardice Abounds in Both Parties

Several days ago Joint Chiefs Chairman General Peter Pace told the Chicago Tribune that he believed homosexuality was immoral. The remarks justifiably launched the left half of the blogosphere into a fit, and led to demands that General Pace apologize for his bigoted remark, and even a few calls that he resign his position as the highest-ranked military officer in the country.

The first significant response to Pace's comment from a political leader came not from one of the frontrunners for the Democratic presidential nomination, but from the ancient Republican Senator from Virginia, John Warner. "I respectfully, but strongly disagree with the chairman's view that homosexuality is immoral," said Senator Warner in a statement issued by his office, after four days still the strongest condemnation of Pace's remarks from either major party.

Democratic frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, by contrast, took two days to directly respond to questions about their views on Pace and the morality of homosexuality. When asked for her opinion by an ABC News reporter, Hillary launched into a condemnation of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy which currently bars gays from serving openly in the armed forces. When the reporter tried to corner her on the question of immorality, Hillary wriggled loose: "Well I'm going to leave that to others to conclude." A reporter from Newsday caught up with Barack Obama after he spoke at the International Association of Firefighters convention in Washington, D.C., and asked if he thought homosexuality was immoral. "I think the question here is whether somebody is willing to sacrifice for their country, should they be able to if they're doing all the things that should be done," Senator Obama said, dodging the question more adroitly than Senator Clinton, but still dodging the question.