Joint Chiefs Nominee Indicates It Is Appropriate for Congress to Revisit 'Don't Ask, Dont' Tell'

I truly hope that Congress will revisit and repeal the current "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. I have clients who most certainly did not tell but rather were set up by a spiteful redneck and will in all likelihood be discharged. In fact, even if they were given the opportunity to stay, the ordeal they have been put through has been so bad, that they go ahead and leave the military. The net result, the military loses two smart, capable guys but gets to retain the small minded redneck bigot, who is probably exactly the type who would gun down innocent Iraqi civilians. Worse yet, gang members and felons are being allowed to enlist because of the difficulty in meeting recruiting targets. Talk about idiocy!! Here the SLDN commentary:

WASHINGTON, DC – Admiral Michael Mullen, President Bush’s nominee to succeed General Peter Pace as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was questioned about the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on lesbian, gay and bisexual personnel during a Senate hearing Tuesday. Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine queried Mullen on the continued dismissal of gay troops under the ban. While confirming that he would implement the current law, Mullen also told Collins that “I really think it is for the American people to come forward, really through this body, to both debate that policy and make changes, if that's appropriate."

"Admiral Mullen’s remarks are a welcome change of pace among military leadership, where there has long been an adversity to encouraging debate on opening the services to lesbian and gay patriots." He went on to say that, “I'd love to have Congress make its own decisions” with respect to considering repeal. Mullen’s remarks follow a firestorm of controversy surrounding comments by Pace referring to gay personnel as “immoral” during a March interview with the Chicago Tribune.

During her questioning, Collins noted that she had “recently met with a retired admiral in Maine who urged me to urge you to reexamine the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy,” indicating that military commanders are beginning to support Congressional action to revisit the law. The Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1246), a bill to lift the ban on open service, is now supported by 126 bi-partisan lawmakers in the House of Representatives. A recent poll of military personnel found that 73% of those surveyed were comfortable around gays, and CNN found last month that 79% of the American public support repeal.

Actually, I am surprised that Susan Collins is asking the questions. She must think she is going to have a strong challenger.