Sen. Kirk, vote yes on DADT repeal

Mark Kirk is getting asked a lot. But, so far, he won't tell.

Unfortunately, his vote last week is doing all the talking for him.

During his successful campaign for the U.S. Senate, Republican Kirk was repeatedly asked how he would vote on the repeal of the military's “don't ask, don't tell” policy on gay servicemen and women. Kirk, a Navy Reserve officer, said he was waiting to see what the extensive Pentagon report said about the issue.

That report was released two weeks ago. Hearings have been held on the report. Both the secretary of Defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff testified that they agree with the report's findings that the military will not be harmed by the repeal of the discriminatory policy against gays in the military. They strongly disagreed with assessments that wartime was not the time to change the policy.

Several moderate Senate Republicans said after those hearings that they would support the repeal. Kirk, however, has been silent.

All those moderate Republicans, save one, however, voted last week not to break the filibuster by opponents of the defense authorization bill, which includes the DADT repeal, and move it forward. Kirk agreed and voted along with that procedural vote, which stopped repeal, so far, in its tracks.

But he has another chance. A stand-alone bill to repeal “don't ask, don't tell” is now making its way through the Senate, where majority leader Harry Reid assures that it will come up for a vote. If approved, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi assures that she will get it approved just as the House did earlier this year.

So, Sen. Kirk, where do you stand? We asked you, when you took over, to be the thoughtful independent you campaigned on. This is your chance.

These men and women who choose to serve their country should be able to do so in an honest, forthright manner, without roadblocks. They should not have to hide who they are, nor should they fear being “outed” by those inside or outside the military. It's a waste of military talent and military time.

Leaders of the military, and indeed a majority of the enlisted men and women, have no problem working alongside a gay man or woman. The report is clear. There is no reason to keep this discriminatory policy, which has resulted in more than 13,000 discharges. Many of those had specialized skills hard to replace. In a Gallup Poll released last week, 67 percent of Americans said they would vote for a law that would allow gays and lesbians to serve openly in the U.S. military.

Mark Kirk can be among the enlightened Republicans who agree. We urge him to publicly support repeal now, to be a voice that could influence others and to vote yes when the bill comes up for a vote.