Huckabee blasts Obama’s nomination of out gay man as Army secretary

GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee went on a rant over President Obama’s nomination of an out gay man to become the next Army secretary, and Huckabee’s Facebook supporters called on Congress to try the president for treason.

"It's clear President Obama is more interested in appeasing America's homosexuals than honoring America's heroes," Huckabee said. He accused Obama of being “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.”

But Obaman’s nominee Eric Fanning currently serves as undersecretary of the man he’s been nominated to replace — John McHugh. McHugh, a former Republican congressman, is also a civilian.

Huckabee never served in the military due to “flat feet.”

Huckabee also went on a rant about the issue on the Fox Business Network’s Mornings with Maria, where he was asked for evidence that Fanning was nominated because he’s gay.

“Well, why are they making such a big deal and talking about it? What difference does it make?” Huckabee answered.

Obama never even mentioned Fanning’s sexual orientation in announcing his nomination. It was the media, not the White House, that reported it, becaus if Fanning, 47, is confirmed, he would be the nation's first openly gay leader of a military service.

"Eric brings many years of proven experience and exceptional leadership to this new role," Obama said in a written statement on Sept. 18. “I am grateful for his commitment to our men and women in uniform, and I am confident he will help lead America's soldiers with distinction. I look forward to working with Eric to keep our Army the very best in the world."

Fanning’s background includes serving as special assistant to Defense Secretary Ash Carter and holding senior positions in the Air Force, including serving as that service’s undersecretary from 2013 to 2015.

As Army secretary, Fanning would work with Gen. Mark Milley, who became the Army’s top general in August. He would report to the Department of Defense.

But first, the Senate must confirm Fanning.

Matt Thorn, interim executive director of OutServe-SLDN, an advocacy group for gay members of the military, called Huckabee’s comments “disgraceful.”

 “Eric’s sexual orientation has absolutely no foundation in his ability to do this job,” Thorn said in a prepared statement. ‘He is fundamentally respected by both uniformed and civilian Department of Defense personnel and will undoubtedly serve this post with honor and respect, as he has done in all of his previous positions.

“If Mr. Huckabee cares so deeply about the issues that he claims then he would applaud Eric’s appointment and his history of serving the United States armed services in each of his positions and not tear him down because he doesn’t agree with his sexual orientation.”

Thorn called on Huckabee to apologize to Fanning and on all presidential candidates to denounce “this vicious and unjust attack.”

“I ask that Mr. Huckabee ... stop using the LGBT community for his 30-second campaign sound bites. In the race to the bottom that is the Republican primary, this is a new and disgusting low. It doesn’t make Mr. Huckabee presidential, it makes him desperate.”