Don't Ask, Don't Tell? Don't Hold Your Breath: Lieberman

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, our Independent Congressman, plans to sponsor a bill to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy, but changes won't happen overnight, he says.

"I'm not kidding myself," Lieberman told Politico.com. “Of course, I’d like to get it done this year, but it’s going to be hard.”

Lieberman, who wants to introduce the bill repealing the ban on gays in the military as early as next week,  is trying to find a Republican to co-sponsor the bill, Politico.com reports.

“To me, it’s not only the right thing to do in terms of American values and equal opportunity, but it’s the best thing for our military, because we’re depriving ourselves of a very significant number of Americans who want to serve,” Lieberman told reporters.

He still has some obstacles to overcome. The Pentagon is currently conducting a study of how to transition to a policy of gays openly serving in the military.  

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have said they support the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," but only after that study has been completed, which might not happen until the end of the year.

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