Bill Clinton: “I can only tell you what I think should be done and what my guess is will be done. And I'm glad you asked this question.…”

“I can only tell you what I think should be done and what my guess is will be done. And I'm glad you asked this question. Let me say one thing by way of background. The difference between my position and that of many people in the military, including most folks in the military, is over a very narrow category of people, actually. That is, in the last few months, the armed services have, on their own initiative after meeting with me, stopped asking people when they join up whether they are homosexual or not. That is not being asked anymore. For many years that question was not asked. It only started being asked in the relatively recent past. That will solve most of the problems. I do not propose any changes in the code of military conduct. None. Zero. I do not believe that anything should be done in terms of behavior that would undermine unit cohesion or morale. Nothing. Here is what this whole debate is about. It is about whether someone should be able to acknowledge, if asked or otherwise, homosexuality and do nothing else, do nothing to violate the code of military conduct and not be kicked out of the service. And my position is yes. Others say no. Others say if you let someone acknowledge it, it amounts to legitimizing a lifestyle or putting it on a par with--I don't see it as that. I just believe that there ought to be a presumption that people ought to be able to serve their country unless they do something wrong. But you need to know, that is it is not such a big difference. That is what we're arguing about. We're arguing not about any kind of conduct but about whether people can acknowledge that. Like that young man who was the 6th Army soldier of the year and who's now about to be mustered out because he acknowledged being homosexual. It is not about asking the American people to approve a lifestyle, to embrace it, to elevate it, anything else. The question is if you accept as a fact, as we now know and as the Pentagon has said, there have been many, many thousands of homosexuals serve our country and serve it well with distinction, should we stop asking? They say yes, and I say yes. So we solved most of the issues. They say yes, and I say yes. Should we change the code of conduct? They say no, and I say no, not at all, not on the base, not any way, no changes in the code of conduct. So the issue is over this: What will happen in this narrow category of cases? And that is what is still to be resolved. I hope my position will prevail. Frankly, I think most people believe as a practical matter, most people who have studied it, that the position I have taken can be worked out and is fairest to the good men and women who serve in the service who have done well. I think they're frankly worried about having that position look like they are embracing a lifestyle or legitimizing a lifestyle they don't agree with. And I keep saying, ``That's not what I think we're about.'' What I think we're about is acknowledging people's right to do right and to be judged by what they do. And that's sort of my position. Economic Program”