Kendrick Meek backs lifting "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," Charlie Crist and Marco Rubio don't

With a key Senate panel poised to take up repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," Kendrick Meek is using his stance in support of repeal to cast himself as the "lone progressive running against two conservatives.

"Do the governor and Speaker Rubio still stand with the far right instead of our men and women in uniform?" said Meek spokesman Adam Sharon.

Gov. Charlie Crist told reporters Monday that "I think the current policy has worked pretty well for America. I really do. So I don't know why there's any need for change at this time."

A spokesman for former House Speaker Marco Rubio said Rubio "supports the current policy and doesn’t see any reason for it to change.'

Meek's campaign says he's been a "longstanding cosponsor of legislation" to repeal the policy and has posted a petition on his website calling for its repeal. Bill Nelson said yesterday he'll vote to back repeal.

Comments

[Tally]

38% voted against the Marriage Amendment in 2008. If that same percentage vote for Meek he wins in a three way race.

Charlie Crist's move to NPA frees up Rep. Meek to run as a true progressive if he so desires. This approach should also help him cement a primary win against Jeff Greene.

[Roly Castillo]

There goes Charlie's "gay vote" - Oh, well.

[Pedro]

Good for Congressman Meek! He has earned my vote. If the other two think the policy is working, they are crazy in my opinion. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is discriminatory and unfair. Arabic linguists, medics, and soldiers have been thrown out of the military simply because they are gay. This is ridiculous and outrageous. I totally agree with Admiral Mullen when he stated, "No matter how I look at the issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me, it comes down to integrity - theirs as individuals and ours as an institution."

[DADT]

"We are a nation at war. The governor believes the current policy has worked, and there is no need to make changes,"

~ Charlie Crist, through spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg in FEBRUARY 2010

http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2010/02/crist-opposes-changing-dont-ask-dont-tell.html

Vote for Kendrick Meek!