WASHINGTON — Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed mild regret Tuesday for calling homosexual acts "immoral," but he stopped short of an apology as gay rights groups and a powerful Republican senator rebuked him for the comments.
As critics fired rhetorical volleys, Pace issued a statement expressing regret that he had put so much stress on the morality issue when he defended the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" ban on gays serving openly in the military during a Monday interview with the Chicago Tribune's editorial board.
"In expressing my support for the current policy, I also offered some personal opinions about moral conduct," Pace said in his statement. "I should have focused more on my support of the policy and less on my personal moral views."
But this statement did not mollify critics who called the general's remarks insensitive and outrageous and said he should apologize.
Pace's comments drew wide attention on television, radio and the Internet and showed how sensitive the Pentagon's policy has become. His senior staff members said he was expressing personal views and did not intend to apologize.
Still, the incident provided a strong hint that Congress might hold hearings this year on the "don't ask, don't tell" policy approved during the Clinton administration, which allows gays to serve in the military as long as they do not disclose their sexual orientation.
That clue came when Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, took issue with the general.
"I respectfully but strongly disagree with the chairman's view that homosexuality is immoral," Warner said. "In keeping with my long-standing respect for the Armed Services Committee hearing process, I will decline to comment on the current policy until after such hearings are held."
Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.), who has the right to call hearings, had no comment on Pace's remarks. A spokeswoman said no decision had been made on whether to hold hearings on the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
Repeal of the ban on gays who acknowledge their sexual orientation and serve in the military would be highly controversial. Democratic presidential candidates such as Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina favor a repeal, whereas GOP contenders such as Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney would maintain the policy.
