WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. John McCain says the effort to repeal the military's ban on openly gay service members doesn't reflect a problem in the military.
Rather, he sees it as an effort to fulfill a political promise that was made by an "inexperienced" candidate for president.
McCain was the Republican nominee for president in 2008. He lost to Democrat Barack Obama, who pledged to seek repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
The Republican senator from Arizona says it's wrong to assert that the "don't ask, don't tell" policy is damaging to the military.
McCain's views stands in opposition to those of Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen. They support repealing the ban.
McCain spoke Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."
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