Pelosi Had A Key Role in "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Deal

Jonathan Allen & Josh Gerstein report on the role that Nancy Pelosi played in securing a compromise on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell":

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a clear message on the White House’s plan to change the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy: Don’t wait.

Lawmakers, aides and gay rights activists are crediting the California Democrat and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) with forcing the White House, key congressional players and Defense Secretary Robert Gates all to sign off — with varying degrees of enthusiasm — on a bifurcated plan that would lift the policy later.

"The speaker was determined to go ahead, and so was Carl Levin,” said Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), one of three openly gay members of Congress.

“My plan was to go forward with it if we had the votes,” Levin said, referring to a big “if” that still looms.