Santorum endorses celibacy in the military?

[Torie]

That seemed to be what he said. I heard it myself. Of course, he was trying to sound like he wasn't trying to discriminate against gays per se. But it didn't "come out" too well.  No it didn't.

Anyway, it gave me a laugh. And it doesn't matter - Rick isn't going anywhere. But as Mitt said, words matter. Mitt of course, had his own little stumble. When he was trying to sound gracious, he said there "were a lot of reasons not to elect him." The DNC picked up on that one right away. Mitt was just trying to say that nobody is perfect.

Politics is a tough sport isn't it?

[DrScholl]

Somehow, I don't think many in the military would agree with that.

[pbrower2a]

Somehow, I don't think many in the military would agree with that.

Agreed. Machismo is a big part of the ethos of boot camp and direct combat. It implies that men get the girls because they are 'real men' and not wimps. The Marine Corps has frequently used the advertising pitch "The Marines are looking for a few good men".

[Keystone Phil]

But as Mitt said, words matter.

Hilariously yet aggravatingly ironic coming from Mitt Romney. What a disgusting individual.

[redcommander]

But as Mitt said, words matter.

Hilariously yet aggravatingly ironic coming from Mitt Romney. What a disgusting individual.

I think you should start warming up to him since there isn't anyone emerging to take him down.

[Guderian]

Well, to Santorum's credit it's hard to defend DADT without sounding like you support the policy just because you hate gays. It just takes certain rhetorical abilities Rick just doesn't have, so he ends up talking nonsense.

[BigSkyBob]

Only in the sense that he believes two soldiers should not have sex with each other, be they of different sexes, or the same sex.

[Lief 🗽]

Only in the sense that he believes two soldiers should not have sex with each other, be they of different sexes, or the same sex.

That's some pretty radical and experimental social policy he wants to implement then.

[Username MechaRFK]

But as Mitt said, words matter.

Hilariously yet aggravatingly ironic coming from Mitt Romney. What a disgusting individual.

Not as disgusting as Rick Santorum himself.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Only in the sense that he believes two soldiers should not have sex with each other, be they of different sexes, or the same sex.

So Santorum should repeal this policy?:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23884819/ns/us_news-military/t/army-lets-soldiers-take-i-do-iraq-war-zone/#.Tn4QelkmYaQ

[GMantis]

Because armies have always been known for their strict sexual abstinence...
Too bad that Santorum will probably drop out too early, he could provide entertainment to a campaign that looks rather bland now.

[Landslide Lyndon]

I guess under President Santorum's watch, chastity belts would become standard equipment.

[Likely Voter]

But Dont Ask Dont Tell had nothing to do with having sex. The policy was about talking about sex. Soldiers having sex (straight or gay) while on duty isn't allowed.  So is Santorum saying that straight soldiers shouldn't be allowed to talk about their wives and girlfriends and which celebrities they would like to bang? Because that is what DADT demands for gay soldiers.

As for his thing about how the military shouldn't be the place for social experimentation, well the military seems to be the last place where discrimination for sexual preference was allowed. Gays have been integrated into the private workplace, including federal government, for quite a while.

And even if that werent true, the military has been on the forefront of civil rights before. Truman desegratated the military in 1948, two decades before the civil rights movement.

Bottom line: Santorum deserves his google ranking

[Averroës Nix]

But Dont Ask Dont Tell had nothing to do with having sex. The policy was about talking about sex. Soldiers having sex (straight or gay) while on duty isn't allowed.  So is Santorum saying that straight soldiers shouldn't be allowed to talk about their wives and girlfriends and which celebrities they would like to bang? Because that is what DADT demands for gay soldiers.

It's the same as when Romney and Cain talk about "Obamacare." Romney says that his reforms in Massachusetts are different because they don't "put someone between you and your doctor." Cain says that he doesn't know if he'd have survived cancer under the current reforms. It's a slightly more civilized but equally false variation on the "death panels" claim. When most of the Republican candidates (or, for that matter, most elected Republicans) talk about Obamacare. they're referring to something that has only a very loose - and largely coincidental - resemblance to actual policy.

I think the that best way to understand Santorum's argument apropos DADA is to view it in the same way. It doesn't matter what the actual policy is, because it's Obama's policy. So he makes it sound as threatening as possible, without any regard for facts.