Soltz and Powers talk DADT on Hardball

Iraq vets Jon Soltz and Jon Powers were on Hardball the other day to talk about the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Someone needs to pay these two a lot of money and hire them as our spokesmen until the ban is repealed. Two straight guys, not working with any of the gay groups, are two of our best advocates, if not the two best we've seen.

One thing that Chris Matthews got wrong is asking a question about whether we need to change any of the rules once we have gay people in the same barracks as straight service members. Chris, they're already there. That's the joke of this entire discussion we've been having for 17 years. The most effective thing Sam Nunn did to jam the discriminatory policy down our throats was to take the Senate and the media on a tour of the bunks in a submarine. Again, the suggestion was "gosh, we can'y have gay people sleeping next to you in such tight quarters." But they already are right now. Under DADT, it's not against the policy to be gay, it's against the policy for anyone to find out. Weird distinction, but true.