80% Favor Gays in Military 

Nearly eight out of ten Americans say they support openly gay men and women serving in the military, according to a new national poll by CNN.

The survey, released Tuesday, finds that 78% of the public supports allowing gay people to serve, with one in five people opposed.

"Support is widespread, even among Republicans," CNN polling director Keating Holland said in a statement. "Nearly six in ten Republicans favor allowing openly gay individuals to serve in the military. There is a gender gap, with 85 percent of women and 71 percent of men favoring the change, but support remains high among both groups."

The release of the poll comes one day after congressional Democrats announced they had reached agreement with the White House on a compromise on repealing "don't ask, don't tell." A vote is expected Thursday.