Stafford’s First Congressional District Candidate Forum: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell

Where do the democrats running for the nomination in the 1st CD stand on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?” At the Stafford 1st CD Candidate Forum this past Saturday, Scott Robinson and Krystal Ball had the following to say:

Simply put, Krystal supports Adm. Mike Mullen’s, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, opinion that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” should be repealed. Adm. Mike Mullen provided some pretty powerful testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee recently. He said that

allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do.

He went on to say that

no matter how I look at this issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens or me personally,  it comes down to integrity, theirs as individuals and ours as an institution.

With regards to repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Scott will support whatever the results of a study currently being conducted on this very question.  If there is one thing I have learned is that people, rightly or wrongly, support leaders that are principled and wiling to take stands on difficult issues. Scott seems neither principled nor willing to take a stand on this issue (let alone any).

Heck, even former Vice President Dick Cheney has weighed in on the subject. In an interview on “This Week,” he was quoted as saying that

When the chiefs come forward and say, ‘We think we can do it,’ then it strikes me that it’s – it’s time to reconsider the policy.

Sen. Joe Lieberman plans on introducing a bill next week to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Yes, Joe Lieberman.

In a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, 75% of all Americans said that they support openly gay people serving in the military.  This same poll also indicates that this is widely supported by folks of all parties. 82% of Democrats, 77% of independents and 64% of Republicans support repealing it.

As John C. Maxwell once said, “a leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” Krystal is just that leader.

UPDATE: Lowell has additional insight on this subject at Blue Virginia.