CNN says general should not have had airtime
CNN acknowledged today that a retired military officer has ties to Democrat Hillary Clinton's campaign and should not have been allowed to ask a question at Wednesday night's Republican debate about homosexuals serving in the military.
Retired Brigadier General Keith H. Kerr of Santa Rosa, Calif., asked a question via a YouTube video criticizing the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, and was invited by CNN to the theater in St. Petersburg, Fla., to pose a follow-up question.
He is on Clinton campaign committees for veterans and for gays and lesbians. The Clinton campaign said Kerr does not work for the campaign and was not acting on its behalf.
"We regret this and apologize to the Republican candidates," David Bohrman, CNN senior vice president and executive producer of debate, said in a statement posted on CNN's political website. "We never would have used the general's question had we known that he was connected to any presidential candidate."
CNN said before the debate, it verified his military background and that he had not given any money to presidential candidates.
Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, and Mitt Romney disagreed with Kerr about letting gays and lesbians serve openly in the military.
Romney was reminded that in 1994 he had said he looked forward to the day when gays and lesbians could serve "openly and honestly in our nation's military."
Asked whether he stood by that statement, Romney replied, "This isn't that time. This is not that time. We're in the middle of a war."
Kerr said the candidates did not adequately respond to his query.
"American men and women in the military are professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians," Kerr said. "For 42 years, I wore the army uniform on active duty, in the reserve, and also for the state of California. I revealed I was a gay man after I retired. Today, 'don't ask, don't tell' is destructive to our military policy."
One policy for peace time and another for war?
That's really a fantastic indictment of Romney. Does he understand the role of Commander-in-Chief or of a standing military.
Does anyone think all the people asking questions in the Democrats debate were really all Democrats too?
Why is CNN apologizing for asking a good question? Why does it matter who it comes from if it's an important and thoughtful question?
This is an absurdity. The question was 100% legitimate. And while I disagree with the answers given, they are what they are - the views of those candidates. Some supposed tie to the Clinton campaign doesn't de-legitimize the question.
It is interesting that of all the questioners the only one to be invited to the debate and allowed to expand on his question was the promoter of gay and lesbian positions.
Having served 20 years in the military, I don't have a problem with gays serving.
Was Kerr's question legitimate? Yes. Was the fact that he was "selected" arbitrarily? Doubtful. There are at least half a dozen instances of the Clueless News Network selecting questions posed by individuals with ties to the Clinton, Obama and Edwards campaigns.
Democrats refused to appear on any Fox-sponsored debates, claiming they would not get a fair shake. Now this allegedly unbiased network claims they knew of no ties to any of the campaigns. They've shown themselves to be as bad as Fox and have no credibility.
Can Mitt Romney do anything else to further demonstrate his complete lack of integrity? It seems there is no position that old Mitt will stick to if it hinders his political ambition.
I believe Barney Frank once labeled Mitt the "most disingenuous politician he had ever known." Sounds like a fair and accurate characterization.
It was a great question, Romney is a bigot, you don't need to apologize
Althugh the question may be legitimate, this still raises the issue of the apparent pro-Clinton bias of CNN. When I originally heard the claim, I was skeptical. However, after the last Democratic debate, the ensuing coverage of that debate, and now this issue, I am not so sure anymore.
Wait, a Democrat tied to a candidate doesn't have a right to pose a question that personally affects him to Republican candidates? That is unethical in America? You've got to be kidding me!!!! Did a Republican get hurt? (Oh ouch, that man was sent (boo-hoo) by Hillary (boo0hoo) to reveal what a bigot and flip-flopper I am - wah wah wah).
Whether or not he was a plant (I personally couldn't care less), the question was legitimate and the Republicans were shown to be the cowardly people that pounce on the powerless that they are.
Hey, world, American soldiers are scared to fight with queers and dykes! Yikes, what a tough army!
It used to be America was the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Looks like now it's the Land of the Ethics Police and the Home of the Naive.
The Clinton News Network really showed its true colors in letting Democrats ask questions of Republican candidates. For all those saying that it shouldn't matter please reexamine how primaries work. Dems only get to vote for Dems and Repubs only get to vote for Repubs., while Independents have to declare in a presidential election. Asking questions in your opposing parties debate is clearly only done to attempt to make them look bad on issues that the parties disagree on. CNN not only choose a Clinton campaigner, but also two Edwards endorsers, and an Obama endorser that they listed as all undecided voters. Had they bothered to spend just a minute googling this people they could have spotted their alliances and not make a mockery of such an important event. Fact checkers had CNN's number before they could finish the program forcing the caught red handed network to apoligize.
You serious Ikem? You can cross parties in many states, and these questions from across party lines are very probably of interest to independents. While I've seen little to discourage the idea that CNN has a pro-hillary bent, there have definitely been questions asked of the Democrats that similarly broght forth issues that some demcrats may not be interested in disussing.
To not do so advances the polarization of this country to please the politcally correct sensibilties of either side. Also to see politicians answer these sorts of questions is important to independents who vote in the primaries (or "unenrolled" as Im registered in MA)
I wanted to puke. This "thing" appearing in public in this sick effort to justify his actions are queer.
I served in the Army. How would you like a queer learing at you and mayby 30-40 men in a shower?
People like kerr have a personal problem.
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