North Carolina Republican Sen. Richard Burr voted against cloture on the Don’t-Ask-Don’t-Tell bill because he thought it was a mistake to make the change during war time. Then he relented after it became clear it would pass and voted for the bill. Why? Because he didn’t want to stand in the way of a “generational transition” :
Given the generational transition that has taken place in our nation, I feel that this policy is outdated and repeal is inevitable. However, I remain convinced that the timing of this change is wrong, and making such a shift in policy at a time when we have troops deployed in active combat areas does not take into consideration the seriousness of the situation on the ground. But, the vote this morning to invoke cloture on this bill indicated that the broader Senate was prepared to move forward with a change, and despite my concerns over timing, my conclusion is that repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is the right thing to do.
Question: If it’s bad policy during war time, why is it good policy during peace time?
