'Don't ask, don't tell' squeezes Skelton

WASHINGTON, May 21 (UPI) -- Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., an original sponsor of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays, is in a hard spot over the law's repeal, observers said.

Democratic leaders, working with gay-rights activists, are seeking to scrap the ban on openly gay men and women serving in the military. But Skelton, who Republicans consider vulnerable on Election Day and one of the original "don't ask, don't tell" architects in the 1990s, opposes the repeal effort, The Hill reported.

Time may be running out for Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and his effort to fend off alterations to the law, insiders said. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California told The Hill she would work to end "don't ask, don't tell" this year, adding she would confer with Skelton before moving forward.

Skelton recently got a boost from Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who favors repeal, but only after the Pentagon conducts a study of implementing a new policy. In a letter to Skelton, Gates urged Congress hold off on repeal until the Pentagon study was completed.

Skelton's position against repealing "don't ask, don't tell" doesn't keep him safe from Republican candidates trying to oust him in November.

"He has voted with Nancy Pelosi 95 percent of the time and has allowed this debate to continue. Rural Missourians want a strong voice for their values rather than a puppet for Nancy Pelosi," said Christian Morgan, spokesman for Bill Stouffer, a GOP hopeful.

Ken Morley, an adviser to Skelton's campaign, said the people in Shelton's district "know where he stands on this issue. His position is well-known. I do not see how opponents can change those simple facts."

The Missouri party primaries are Aug. 3.