Presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee slams Obama’s nomination of openly-gay army secretary

AFTER the announcement of openly-gay official Eric Fanning as President Barack Obama’s choice for the Secretary of Army, Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee has accused the president on Facebook for trying to “appeasing America’s homosexuals”.

Fanning — who has worked at the Pentagon over the course of the Obama administration in different roles, including deputy under secretary of the US Navy, under secretary of the US Air Force, acting secretary of the US Air Force, Pentagon Chief of Staff, and acting under secretary of the US Army — was described by the White House in his nomination to lead the Army as a man who “brings many years of proven experience and exceptional leadership to this new role”.

On his Facebook page, Huckabee wrote: “It’s clear President Obama is more interested in appeasing America’s homosexuals than honoring America’s heroes.

“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.

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

Other Republican presidential hopefuls have avoided the topic of LGBT rights, but Huckabee has consistently made anti-LGBT views a part of his presidential campaign.

This month, he appeared on stage alongside controversial Kentucky clerk Kim Davis as she walked out of jail. Davis was prisoned for five days after a federal judge for her in contempt of court for refusing to issue marriage licenses in her Rowan County office.

H/T Washington Blade