Senator Levin Pledges Support in Dont Ask Dont Tell Repeal

Sen. Carl Levin called for the repeal on the military's ban from openly gay and lesbian service members in an op-ed on Politico.

Levin, a Democrat and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said this is the right time to repeal the 17-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" law.

"We should end this policy because ending it will contribute to our military's effectiveness," he wrote. "To take just one example: Dozens of Arabic and Farsi linguists have been forced out of the military under 'don't ask, don't tell' at a time when our need to understand those languages has never been greater. Thousands of troops -- 13,500 by one estimate -- have been forced to leave the military under the current policy. Certainly that number includes many who could help the military complete its difficult and dangerous missions."

Go to Politico.com for the full story.