Since Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Michael Mullen declared that they would be starting the long process toward repeal of the US Army's openly gay service personnel ban 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' there seemed to... ...

Today, a group of conservatives will try their hardest to make military fairness a major controversy. Meanwhile, those who are actually risking life and limb for their country will focus on what truly matters: After Tuesday's question-and-answer session, [Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Navy Adm. Michael Mullen] told McClatchy Newspapers that although he's held three town hall sessions with troops since his testimony, not a single service member has asked him about the issue [of Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal]. At Tuesday's session, which included not only Marines, but members of the Army and the Air Force, both ...

Here is Admiral Michael Mullen's statement at the beginning of today's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' hearing.Americablog dug up a McCain statement from October 2006 (DailyKOS has the video)saying that we need to listen to our military leaders for guidance on a repeal:"And I understand the opposition to it, and I‘ve had these debates and discussions, but the day that the leadership of the military comes to me and says, Senator, we ought to change the policy, then I think we ought to consider seriously changing it because those leaders in the military are the ones we give ...

When Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen testify today before the Senate Armed Services Committee (expected @ around 12PM EST), you will be able to watch it right here. Just click C-SPAN3 at that time, choosing the feed that works best for your browser (On our Snow Leopard Mac running firefox, it's Windows Media Player; in Safari, we only get audio): if (WIDGETBOX) WIDGETBOX.renderWidget('0cc10fc6-117d-4dda-90e2-bb7aaae8e110');Get the C-SPAN Live Streams widget and many other great free widgets at Widgetbox! Not seeing a widget? (More info) Don't say we never gave ...

A portion of the defense budget hearing will be set aside for "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," DC Agenda reports: "Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) on Thursday told DC Agenda he’s reserving a portion of the budget hearing next week for lawmakers to ask questions on the 1993 law banning gays from serving openly in the U.S. military. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Michael Mullen are set to testify at hearing, which is set for Tuesday. 'We’re going to have our hearing on the budget on Tuesday with Secretary Gates ...

I don’t know if any of you remember Monty Python and the Spanish Inquisition. These guys would show up in the middle of scenes and yell, “Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.” Well, this is Blackwater. They are everywhere. This is what progressives feared. Blackwater would be used as a military force to go around Congress. With their tanks and copters, there isn’t much that Blackwater can’t do. They aren’t tied down like our military. They can do whatever they want. From the Nation: At a covert forward operating base run by the US Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) in the Pakistani ...

COREY JOHNSON Yesterday was an historic day for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans. The hate crimes measure named in honor of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. which was signed by President Obama in an early afternoon ceremony yesterday in the East Room at the White House modifies the 1969 federal hate-crime law covering crimes motivated by actual or perceived race, color, religion or national origin, expanding it to cover gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. This is the first piece of federal legislation signed into law that explicitly covers LGBT citizens. Advocates ...