My editor popped into my office to ask "What's the headline?" out of the release of the long-awaited report on the repeal of don't ask don't tell. The answer was pretty easy. Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants the Senate to repeal don't ask don't tell before the courts force him to eliminate the policy. He urged that it be done during the lame-duck session and that those standing in the way "are rolling the dice that this policy will not be abruptly overturned by the courts."
Got that, John McCain?
The courts haven't been shy about dictating military policy. In October, a federal judge declared the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military unconstitutional and ordered it to cease enforcement immediately. And other judges are almost certain to come to similar conclusions the longer Congress waits to repeal don't ask don't tell. To have the courts do what Congress won't would be a nightmare for an institution that runs on process, rules, predictability and order. Here's what Gates said:
I believe this is a matter of some urgency because, as we have seen this past year, the federal courts are increasingly becoming involved in this issue. Just a few weeks ago, one lower-court ruling forced the Department into an abrupt series of changes that were no doubt confusing and distracting to men and women in the ranks. It is only a matter of time before the federal courts are drawn once more into the fray, with the very real possibility that this change would be imposed immediately by judicial fiat -- by far the most disruptive and damaging scenario I can imagine, and the one most hazardous to military morale, readiness and battlefield performance.
<snip>
The Pentagon Working Group's study is now the 23rd on the subject of gays in the military. The results are not surprising. Allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly would not harm the armed forces. An overwhelming majority of those in uniform think such a policy change isn't a big deal. While there are predictions of short-term discomfort, there is certainty that repeal would be a success over the long-term.<snip>
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/11/sec_gatess_blunt_message_to_th.html
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