Rolling Stone retracts Clinton quote
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Dec. 7, 2000 | WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rolling Stone now says President Clinton didn't use offensive language to describe the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy for homosexuals.
The misquote, printed in Rolling Stone's latest issue, lent humor to the White House briefing Thursday when a reporter asked: "When did the president decide that `don't ask, don't tell' was a dumbass thing to do?"
White House press secretary Jake Siewert reassured reporters that the president didn't use the unsavory language when discussing the policy allowing gays to serve in uniform as long as they don't reveal their sexual orientation.
The Rolling Stone article based on interviews with Clinton by the magazine's founder, Jann Wenner, quoted Clinton as saying: "And it was only then that I worked out with (former Joint Chiefs of Staff) Colin Powell this dumbass `don't ask, don't tell' thing .."
Robert Love, managing editor of Rolling Stone, said it was a typo.
"Due to a transcription error, the words "don't ask" were printed as "dumb ass" in our interview with President Clinton. We regret the error," Love said in a statement.
Associated Press