GOP candidate censures Obama for nominating gay army secretary

Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has slammed US President Barack Obama’s decision to nominate an openly gay man to lead the United States Army.

“It’s clear President Obama is more interested in appeasing America’s homosexuals than honoring America’s heroes,” the former Arkansas governor said in a statement issued on Saturday.

“Veterans suicide is out-of-control and military readiness is dangerously low, yet Obama is so obsessed with pandering to liberal interest groups he’s nominated an openly gay civilian to run the Army,” the statement added.  

“Homosexuality is not a job qualification. The US military is designed to keep Americans safe and complete combat missions, not conduct social experiments,” it said.

On Friday, Obama nominated Eric Fanning to be the next US Army secretary and if confirmed by the Senate, Fanning will serve as the first openly gay person to take on that role.

“Eric brings many years of proven experience and exceptional leadership to this new role,” Obama said on Friday.

Fanning has worked as the deputy undersecretary and deputy chief management officer for the Department of the Navy.

He has also served as deputy director of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, undersecretary of the Air Force, and later as the acting US secretary of the Air Force.

Fanning, who holds a degree from the prestigious Dartmouth College, has recently worked as chief of staff to the secretary of Defense and acting undersecretary of the Army.

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter has welcomed Fanning’s nomination, saying, “I know he will strengthen our Army, build on its best traditions and prepare our ground forces to confront a new generation of challenges.”

The decision marks the latest step taken by the Obama administration to open up the military to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

On June 26, the Supreme Court declared same-sex marriages legal across the entirety of the United States.

Critics say that same-sex marriage will lead to the disintegration of family institution and sanctity of marriage. They contend that same-sex marriage is against the nature of human beings and all divine religions define marriage as the union between one man and one woman.

Senator Ted Cruz, another Republican presidential candidate, also denounced Fanning’s nomination on Saturday, saying Obama is possibly making “a political statement” by choosing his new Army chief.

“I certainly hope that the secretary of the Army is being nominated because the President wants the right person to defend our nation and not because he is looking to make a political statement on issues of sexual orientation unrelated to defending this nation and keeping us safe,” Cruz said.

“But as I said, I will wait until his confirmation hearing to assess his record on the merits,” he added.

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