Speaking at the Human Rights Campaign’s 15th annual national dinner on Saturday, President Barack Obama jabbed at the Republican presidential field’s on-stage non-response to the booing of an openly gay soldier during the last debate.
‘We don’t believe in the kind of smallness that says it’s okay for a stage full of political leaders — one of whom could end up being the President of the United States — being silent when an American soldier is booed,” Obama said to applause. “We don’t believe in that. We don’t believe in standing silent when that happens.”
“We don’t believe in them being silent since [then],” Obama continued. “You want to be Commander-in-Chief? You can start by standing up for the men and women who wear the uniform of the United States, even when it’s not politically convenient.”
The GOP debate audience booed openly gay soldier Stephen Hill, after moderators played his video question for Republican candidates: “My question is, under one of your presidencies, do you intend to circumvent the progress that’s been made for gay and lesbian soldiers in the military?”
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum answered Hill’s question, saying he’d reinstate Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. “Any type of sexual activity has no place in the military,” Santorum said, adding that the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal is “playing social experimentation with our country.”
“Leave it alone, keep it to yourself, whether you are a heterosexual or a homosexual,” Santorum added.
Though none of the candidates openly condemned the booing on stage when it happened, Santorum appeared the follow day on Fox News with Megyn Kelly and denounced it. Santorum also said he didn’t hear the boos, and would have condemned them on stage had he heard them.
“I condemn the people who booed that gay soldier,” Santorum said the next day, according to The Washington Post. “I have to admit I seriously did not hear those boos. … But certainly had I, I would have said, ‘Don’t do that. This man is serving our country and we are to thank him for his service.’”
Democratic National Committee spokesman Brad Woodhouse did not respond to an email from TheDC asking if President Obama believed Santorum was lying when he said he couldn’t hear the boos.
