Vice President Biden just told the women on ABC's The View that it was "reprehensible" that a gay soldier was booed during the recent GOP presidential debate in Florida. Here is a rough transcript:
Joy Behar: What did you think of the booing that went on the other day about the gay soldier? Did have you a visceral response to it?You'll recall that a gay soldier serving in Iraq asked a question, via YouTube, about Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and the audience booed him. None of the 9 candidates on stage said a word in defense of the soldier. Since that time, Huntsman, Santorum and Johnson have denounced the audience for booing the soldier, but Romney, Perry, Bachmann, Gingrich and Cain have refused to, even when asked by ABC.
VP Biden: I did have a visceral response. I'm not sure it's because my son spent a year in iraq. I know my son and all the kids with him -- kids -- they're grown men. I don't think they gave a damn wether a guy firing a rifle to protect them is gay or straight. I don't think they care about that. Now look, this kid risked his life, this kid is there for a year. And I quite frankly, I thought it was reprehensible.
Behar: And no one spoke up, that entire panel, not one person said anything.
Biden: [Looks down, silently.]
Barbara Walters: Should I move on, because i know this is a very emotional subject for you...
Why is the media letting the Republicans get away with this? If a Democratic audience had booed a US soldier serving in combat, and the Democratic presidential candidates did nothing about it when it happened, and refused to condemn it after the fact, it would be the only thing we'd hear about between now and the election. Can't you imagine it? Wold Blitzer every day demanding that Republicans, of all stripes, condemn the attack. Fox News covering the story 24/7. Veterans groups signing letters. GOP college students protesting across the country. It would be a never ending story.
But now we've had the President of the United States, and the Vice President, denounce this outrage, yet the media doesn't seemed terribly interested in covering it.
Nearly 10,000 people have signed our open letter to the GOP candidates demanding they apologize for this affront to our troops. Please sign it and send it around.
