Maj. Mike Almy Responds to McCain

Maj. Mike Almy, who was discharged from the Air Force on the basis of his private e-mails, appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show to refute Sen. John McCain's insistence to journalists that the military does not search such correspondence.

Following the McCain-led filibuster of an attempt to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" on Tuesday, the senator spoke withThe Advocate's Kerry Eleveld and Metro Weekly's Chris Geidner. He seemed to throw a tantrum as he insisted that the military does not search the private e-mails of gay and lesbian soldiers, despite evidence to the contrary.

Almy, who testified before senators including McCain in March, told Maddow he was "shocked" at the outburst.

"For him to make that statement today, that the military does not search private e-mails, tell me that he either didn't listen to my testimony this past March, he forgot what I said, or he's being deliberately deceptive with the American public about the true nature of 'don't ask, don't tell' and using partisan politics over the interests national security," said Almy.

McCain told Eleveld and Geidner that they should bring anyone who says otherwise to his office, and Almy said he would be happy to go.