CNN/Youtube Debate

Duncan Hunter At the CNN/Youtube Debate Last Night

DH covers illegal immigration, China cheating on trade, 2nd Amendment, never apologizing for America and homosexuals in the military...

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDOe-u5EmXY)

Unfortunately, Duncan Hunter got screwed. The majority of time was alloted to the so-called, media appointed "top tier". The media tries to pick the candidate for America. I pray America rejects that and looks at all the candidates!

Giuliani — 16:38, during 20 times
Romney — 13:18, during 19 times
Thompson — 12:16, during 12 times
McCain — 11:00, during 12 times
Huckabee — 10:00, during 11 times
Paul — 7:43, during 9 times
Hunter — 5:06, during 7 times
Tancredo — 3:49, during 7 times

You'll note one of the questions in the debate was from Brigadier General Keith Kerr:

Brigadier Gen. Keith Kerr (Ret.): My name's Keith Kerr, from Santa Rosa, California. I'm a retired brigadier general with 43 years of service. And I'm a graduate of the Special Forces Officer Course, the Commanding General Staff Course and the Army War College. And I'm an openly gay man.

I want to know why you think that American men and women in uniform are not professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians.

Cooper: I want to point out that Brigadier General Keith Kerr is here with us tonight. I'm glad you're here.

(Applause)

Again, the question to Congressman Hunter.

Hunter: General, thanks for your service, but I believe in what Colin Powell said when he said that having openly homosexual people serving in the ranks would be bad for unit cohesion.
The reason for that, even though people point to the Israelis and point to the Brits and point to other people as having homosexuals serve, is that most Americans, most kids who leave that breakfast table and go out and serve in the military and make that corporate decision with their family, most of them are conservatives.

They have conservative values, and they have Judeo-Christian values. To force those people to work in a small tight unit with somebody who is openly homosexual goes against what they believe to be their principles, and it is their principles, is I think a disservice to them. I agree with Colin Powell that it would be bad for unit cohesion.

General Kerr is not happy with the answer and after Huckabee and Romney are given time, he says so.

Kerr: With all due respect, I did not get an answer from the candidates.

(Applause)

Cooper: What do you feel you did not...

Kerr: American men and women in the military are professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians.

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.

Every day, the Department of Defense discharges two people, not for misconduct, not for the unit cohesion...

Cooper: Wait, the mike is -- you've lost me. Is the microphone not working? Please, just finish your -- what is your question?

Kerr: Not for the unit cohesion that Congressman Hunter is talking about, but simply because they happen to be gay.

Cooper: OK. Senator McCain ...

KERR: And we're talking about doctors, nurses, pilots, and the surgeon who sews somebody up when they're taken from the battlefield.

Then McCain is given time to respond.

The full Part 2 transcript is here. (http://us.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/28/debate.transcript.part2/index.html)

Hillary plants question in Republican debate

It turns out that Keith Kerr, retired Colonel., U.S. Army; retired Brigadier General, California National Reserve, who submitted a YouTube question about gays in the military, is actually a member of Hillary Clinton's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual Americans For Hillary Steering Committee. He's also part of a film production crew trying overturn the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

(excerpt...see http://www.townhall.com/blog/g/d91f3cba-6a87-4686-92ce-70a16edc311)

Digging out more CNN/YouTube plants:

Abortion questioner is declared Edwards supporter (and a slobbering Anderson Cooper fan); Log Cabin Republican questioner is declared Obama supporter;
Lead toy questioner is a prominent union activist for the Edwards-endorsing United Steelworkers

(excerpt...see http://michellemalkin.com/2007/11/29/digging-out-the-cnnyoutube-plants-abortion-questioner-is-edwards-supporter/)

HUNTER TO HILLARY CLINTON DEBATE PLANT: THANKS, SEND MORE!"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 29, 2007

CONTACT: Gary Becks (619) 334-1655, dlhunter08@yahoo.com

San Diego, CA - - - GOP Presidential candidate Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) today sent the following response to Senator Hillary Clinton who planted a member of her campaign staff in the audience to ask a question at the Republican debate last evening in Florida. The retired military general, who announced during his question that he was gay, asked the candidates about their position on the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy regarding homosexuals serving in the military.

November 29, 2007

Dear Senator Clinton,

Regarding the "plant", retired Brig. Gen. Keith H. Kerr, that you sent to ask me the question at the CNN-YouTube debate last night in Florida.

Send more!!!

Merry Christmas,

Duncan Hunter

CNN expunged "don't ask, don't tell" question and answers in rebroadcasts of debate

Summary: Rebroadcasts of the CNN/YouTube debate for Republican presidential candidates omitted a question from a retired brigadier general about the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, as well as the candidates' answers to the question. CNN did not note the omission.

In rebroadcasts of the November 28 CNN/YouTube debate for Republican presidential candidates, CNN expunged, without disclosure, a segment in which retired Brig. Gen. Keith Kerr asked the candidates to address "why you think that American men and women in uniform are not professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians." Kerr is a member of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Americans for Hillary Clinton steering committee and a co-chairman of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-NY) Veterans and Military Retirees for Hillary Committee. In rebroadcasts of the debate at midnight ET and 3 a.m. ET on November 29, CNN omitted the Kerr question, as well as the candidates' answers to his question.

University of Southern California professor Marty Kaplan noted the omission in a blog entry on The Huffington Post, writing:

MORNING AFTER PILL UPDATE V: When CNN rebroadcast the debate, according to commenter AdamDek, the don't-ask-don't-tell question from Brig. Gen. (ret.) Keith Kerr was edited out of the program. Gone! Just like that.

(excerpt...see http://mediamatters.org/items/200711290011)

A simple debate ended up becoming quite a hassle but that's what happens when you put Democrats in charge. ;)