Posted on 05/26/2010 2:48:32 PM PDT by stan_sipple
to a repeal of Dont Ask, Dont Tell. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) has now said he will vote for repeal, Politico reports:
I dont believe that most Nebraskans want to continue a policy that not only encourages but requires people to be deceptive and to lie.The Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy does just that, Nelson said. Italso encourages suspicion and senior officers to look the other way. In a military which values honesty and integrity, this policyencourages deceit.
I will support the Lieberman compromise because it removes politicsfrom the process. It bases implementation of the repeal on thePentagons review and a determination by our military leaders that repeal is consistent with military readiness and effectiveness, andthat the Pentagon has prepared the necessary regulations to make thechanges, he said, adding that he spoke with Defense Secretary Robert Gates about the issue.
He advised that while he preferred waiting until the study iscompleted, he can live with this compromise, Nelson said.
Add that to pledges from Susan Collins (R-ME) and moderate Democrats Evan Bayh (Indiana) and Bill Nelson (Florida) to support repeal. While some gay activists and analysts have denounced the proposal as too weak because it does not actually require the military to stop discharging gay personnel, that criticism is misplaced. This is a compromise that eviscerates the statutory basis for the 16-year-old policy.
Update: Developments are coming quickly. The Weekly Standard says that Sen. John McCain is organizing resistance to the repeal, releasing letters from the heads of the military branches opposing it until the Pentagon review of the policy is completed in December. By then, it would be much more difficult to repeal the policy because a repeal would be subject to filibuster. Additionally, action after this year would be more difficult because the next Congress is likely to be less supportive of repeal.
The END of our military!!! Lookout DRAFT!!
re: encourages but requires people to be deceptive and to lie.
I am so tired of hearing this red herring. If no one asks, and you don’t tell, then where is the lie or the deception? Don’t ask, don’t tell is exactly that, a way to keep me from having to ask you about your sexual preferences and to keep you from having to tell me.
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