Free Republic

Sen. Ben Nelson said Wednesday he'll vote for legislation to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy prohibiting gays from serving openly in the military. Nelson said he has decided to support a compromise plan to repeal the 1993 law while leaving it to the military to determine how and when to implement the change. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is awaiting the results of a DOD review before deciding how to proceed. Nelson said he discussed the issue with Gates this week. The defense secretary said he preferred Congress wait until the review is completed, Nelson said, but also...

to a repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) has now said he will vote for repeal, Politico reports: “I don’t believe that most Nebraskans want to continue a policy that not only encourages but requires people to be deceptive and to lie.The ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t 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 thePentagon’s review and...