The following comments may be attributed to Elaine Donnelly, President of the Center for Military Readiness, an independent public policy organization that specializes in military/social issues:
In response to news reports that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen will join President Barack Obama in issuing “certification” that repeal of the law regarding gays in the military will do no harm to the armed forces, Elaine Donnelly, President of the Center for Military Readiness released the following statement:
“It is not surprising that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen, and President Barack Obama would pull the trigger on the military on a Friday afternoon, making it less likely that anyone will report on the many “thorny issues” and serious social problems expected to ensue.
“Nevertheless, on the day that President Obama signs a paper ‘certifying’ that no harm will come to the military when repeal is implemented, he will own the San Francisco Military that he has created. 
“The Friday afternoon move indicates that this is nothing to be proud of. It is an obvious political payoff to activists of the (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) LGBT Left, delivered at the expense of combat soldiers and Marines whose voices were heard but ignored during last year’s Pentagon “Working Group” process that was put on just for show.
“According to a previously-undisclosed Department of Defense Inspector General investigation of the Comprehensive Review Working Group (CRWG) process, the vaunted DoD “Survey of the Troops” was pre-scripted even before the survey began.
“The DoD Inspector General report revealed that misleading survey results, which obscured the strong opposition of 60% of combat troops and 67% of Marines, were prematurely and improperly leaked to the Washington Post in order to promote the campaign to repeal the 1993 law:
DoD Inspector General Exposes Improper Activities to Repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’”
“The DoD IG interviewed 96 Pentagon officials with access to the Working Group report that might have been responsible for betraying the troops, but five White House officials identified by name were not questioned by investigators. One of the five was then-Deputy Chief of StaffJames Messina, liaison to LGBT groups and now the head of Obama’s re-election campaign in Chicago .
“Mr. Panetta is beginning his term as Defense Secretary by letting down military men, women, and families who were led to believe that their views would be heard and respected. Instead, trusting personnel who participated in the 2010 surveys and focus groups in good faith were misused as props to create the impression that military people “don’t care” about this issue.
“Admiral Mike Mullen, who assigns highest priority to ‘diversity’ at all costs, has failed to make a single positive argument for LGBT Law and policies in the military. During hearings in April, members of the current House Armed Services Committee repeatedly asked Defense Department witnesses, ‘How would repeal of the 1993 law improve combat readiness or benefit the military in any way?’ The witnesses, including the military chiefs of staff, frequently answered, ‘I don’t know.’
“History will hold accountable President Obama, members of the previous lame-duck Congress, and gay activists who misused the federal courts in order to impose LGBT law and policies that will undermine morale and readiness in the All-Volunteer Force.”
To schedule an interview please call Elaine Donnelly, 734/464-9430.
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The Center for Military Readiness is an independent public policy organization that specializes in military/social issues.
