Senator Joe Manchin

I made a mistake.

I tried.

I thought I had the answers, but I didn't.

I misread that one.

How many times have you heard anybody in politics today or have been in politics can still say that I screwed up really on the don't ask, don't tell.

And I'll tell you why.

I was there my first 2011, all the Joint Chiefs of Staff were there and explaining and Obama wanted to get rid of it, okay?

Because before everybody kind of kept it, don't ask, don't tell, that was a Bill Clinton thing.

Let bygones be bygones, let the sleeping dog lie.

Well, it came out now, Obama wanted to get rid of it, okay?

And then I'm listening to everybody talk.

It got down to the commandant of the Marines.

And the Marine commandant said, listen, General, he says, I've got 50 percent of my troops on the battle line right now.

This is a heck of a policy change could jeopardize the welfare and well-being of my troops.

So I was against it.

I said, don't get rid of it.

No, no.

That means if you were, you know, if you were known to be gay, then you could not serve.

I was totally wrong on that because they went ahead and passed it, thank goodness.

And then I found out that it didn't change anything.