<P> When I first heard (the phrase), I thought it sounded silly and I just dismissed it and said, well, that can't possibly work . Well, I sure was wrong . It has worked . It's been in place now for over a decade . The military says it's working and they don't want to change it...and they're the people closest to the front . We're in the middle of a conflict right now . I would not change it ." </P> <P> That summer, after U.S. senator Larry Craig was arrested for lewd conduct in a men's restroom, conservative commentator Michael Medved argued that any liberalization of DADT would "compromise restroom integrity and security". He wrote: "The national shudder of discomfort and queasiness associated with any introduction of homosexual eroticism into public men's rooms should make us more determined than ever to resist the injection of those lurid attitudes into the even more explosive situation of the U.S. military ." </P> <P> In November 2007, 28 retired generals and admirals urged Congress to repeal the policy, citing evidence that 65,000 gay men and women were serving in the armed forces and that there were over a million gay veterans . On November 17, 2008, 104 retired generals and admirals signed a similar statement . In December, SLDN arranged for 60 Minutes to interview Darren Manzella, an Army medic who served in Iraq after coming out to his unit . </P> <P> On May 4, 2008, while Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen addressed the graduating cadets at West Point, a cadet asked what would happen if the next administration were supportive of legislation allowing gays to serve openly . Mullen responded, "Congress, and not the military, is responsible for DADT ." Previously, during his Senate confirmation hearing in 2007, Mullen told lawmakers, "I really think it is for the American people to come forward, really through this body, to both debate that policy and make changes, if that's appropriate ." He went on to say, "I'd love to have Congress make its own decisions" with respect to considering repeal . </P>

Who got rid of don't ask don't tell