At the direction of Mitt Romney’s campaign, the Republican Party is moving to soften its official policy on some of the most cherished ideas of the party’s conservative wing, including restrictions on trade and travel to Cuba and prohibiting gays from serving openly in the military.
Four years ago, the GOP unequivocally proclaimed “the incompatibility of homosexuality with military service” in a platform plank that affirmed the need to “protect our servicemen and women” and “the benefits of traditional military culture.”
Draft language in the 2012 edition, crafted under the tight control of the Romney campaign, drops any reference to gays in the military, however. It also doesn’t directly address President Obama’s decision to abandon the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy and let gays and lesbians serve openly.
In its place, the Romney Republicans are offering a vague reference to study Obama’s military personnel policies.
“We reject the use of the military as a platform for social experimentation,” states the 2012 platform. “We will conduct an objective review of the current administration’s management of military personnel and will correct any problems with appropriate administrative of legal action.”
Continue reading…
