“First, you get your foot in the door by being as similar as possible; then and only then … can you start dragging in your other peculiarities, one by one. You hammer in the wedge narrow end first … allow the camel’s nose beneath your tent, and his whole body will soon follow.”

Once again, as in 2008, Sen. John McCain has led conservatives over a cliff. Both defeats were a result of a conscious decision to unilaterally disarm morally and allow spurious claims to go unchallenged.

When an opponent advances by asserting moral authority, it’s powerful even when wrong, as just occurred in the Senate vote to overturn the military’s ban on homosexuality. The most effective defense is a superior moral offensive. That did not happen.

To his credit, the veteran soldier Mr. McCain, Arizona Republican, took up the cause. But weeks ago, he insisted that the debate be limited to combat readiness (a good argument, but in isolation, not a winning hand), procedure and timing. Even some pro-family groups bought into self-censorship. And the conservative talk show hosts were for the most part AWOL.

That’s why the moral invertebrates that populate some of the GOP leadership refrained from making a clear case. They also failed to examine the core issue — homosexual behavior, and its impact on morale, health, discipline and the freedoms of soldiers to disagree…

Instead of using the military debate to bring to light many suppressed facts that could cripple the homosexual juggernaut if Americans only knew, they played by their opponents’ rule book.

Read More: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/dec/20/a-new-meaning-for-brothers-in-arms/print/