Amid reports this week that meetings on "don't ask, don't tell" have been taking place at the Department of Defense, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said at Friday's briefing that discussions about the policy were ongoing but declined to signal whether President Barack Obama would push for repeal this year.

The Advocate: There's been several reports that discussions within the Pentagon are sort of heating up around "don't ask, don't tell." Does the president plan to push for repeal this year in 2010?

Robert Gibbs: Obviously, there have been discussions here, there have been discussions in the Pentagon — they will continue. We don't have — I don't yet have a time line out of those discussions. But I know they do continue.

The Advocate: The Associated Press reported that the in-house counsel to Adm. Mike Mullen has advised that repeal be delayed by a year. Is the White House comfortable with what appears to be sort of a shot across the bow from the Pentagon?


Gibbs: I don't believe that the opinion of one person reflects the opinion of everyone in that building, nor does it reflect the opinion of everyone in this building, particularly the president of the United States.