Moments ago, responding to reports that Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) and Ranking Member Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) were considering slimming down the bill to ensure that it passes in the lame duck period, the White House issued a statement clarifying that it opposes any attempt to strip Don’t Ask Don’t Tell from the Defense Authorization bill. From White House communications director David Pfeiffer:

“The White House opposes any effort to strip ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ from the National Defense Authorization Act.”

Advocates of repeal insist that the Senate stands the best chance of passing the measure if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) introduces the defense bill in the first week of session. Earlier today, Reid’s spokesperson Jim Manley said “Senator Reid strongly supports the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” but stipulated that he “needs Republicans to at least agree to have a debate on this issue — a debate he firmly believes the Senate should have.”

On Sunday, The Advocate’s Kerry Eleveld had reported that “a person close to the process” said Levin “is looking into a deal with Sec. Gates that would cut ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ out of the Defense bill in order to smooth its way to passage.” “Levin is making calls under the premise – we can’t afford to waste time on a controversial provision, so we’ll strip out the controversial provision and be able to get the bill on and off the floor in the available amount of time,” said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Responding to reports that Democrats are considering stripping the National Defense Authorization Act of the amendment to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Jim Manley — Sen. Harry Reid’s (D-NV) spokesperson — issued the following statement:

“Like Defense Secretary Gates, Senator Reid strongly supports the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell to help strengthen our volunteer force and is continuing to work toward passing the repeal this year. He, of course, can’t do it alone. The Senator needs Republicans to at least agree to have a debate on this issue — a debate he firmly believes the Senate should have.

It’s unfortunate that Senator McCain — who previously expressed support for the repeal of this law — and other senate republicans, are ignoring the advice of our military leaders to reverse this discriminatory policy that not only harms our men and women in uniform, but also our national security.”

Indeed, McCain was for repealing the policy before he was against it and has gone to great lengths to obscure the fact that the the actual repeal amendment doesn’t lift the ban until the Pentagon completes its review of the policy, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mike Mullen and President Obama all certify that repeal would not undermine unit cohesion and military effectiveness.

The Republicans certainly deserve a good deal of blame for filibustering the National Defense Authorization Act in September and putting concerns about Senate procedure ahead of America’s national security interests. Sen. Susan Collins’ (R-ME) equation of senate rules with the freedom to serve openly in the military, for instance — “I think we should welcome the service of these individuals who are willing and capable of serving their country. But I cannot vote to proceed to this bill under a situation that is going to shut down debate and preclude Republican amendments. That too is not fair,” she said — is insulting.

But Democrats are also responsible for the latest DADT quagmire. After all, Democrats originally intended to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell over a two-year period, following an agreement with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates that would have led to legislative action only after the Pentagon’s Working Group released its report in December. Only after LGBT advocates and their allies pressured the White House to change its overly cautious policy, did Reid move on the legislation. But even then, he choose to bring the act up under controversial rules that allowed for limited amendments. As Alexander Nicholson, of Servicemembers United, said after the September vote failed, “The votes to break the filibuster had previously been lined up, but last week Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid decided to use an uncommon procedural privilege on the bill that eroded support for breaking the filibuster and guaranteed the vote’s failure. Intense lobbying and public pressure over the past week proved not to be enough to force either side to back down. The Senate will not likely take up the defense authorization bill again until after the mid-term elections in November.”

Of course, the Democrats can still try to pass repeal in the lame duck session and if they introduce the National Defense Authorization Act in the first part of November, the chances of it passing will increase. They rise even higher if moderate Republicans decide to cooperate in the effort. But Democrats can only control their own behavior and being in the majority, they have the ability to force a vote that would end a deeply unpopular policy. Here’s to hoping they do.

Despite assurances from President Obama that the Senate would at least attempt to take-up the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell amendment in the lame duck session of Congress, the Advocate’s Kerry Eleveld and Wall Street Journal’s Laura Meckler are both reporting that Democrats on the Armed Services Committee are now considering stripping the National Defense Authorization Act (in which repeal is housed) of any “controversial” provisions to move forward a bare-bones proposal:

MECKLER: Sens. Carl Levin of Michigan and John McCain of Arizona, the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, are in talks on stripping the proposed repeal and other controversial provisions from a broader defense bill, leaving the repeal with no legislative vehicle to carry it. With a repeal attached, and amid Republican complaints over the terms of the debate, the defense bill had failed to win the 60 votes needed to overcome a procedural hurdle in the Senate in September. A spokeswoman for Mr. McCain, who opposes the repeal, confirmed he is in talks with Mr. Levin on how to proceed on the defense bill but didn’t provide details.

ELEVELD: A person close to the process said Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is looking into a deal with Sec. Gates that would cut ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ out of the Defense bill in order to smooth its way to passage. “Levin is making calls under the premise – we can’t afford to waste time on a controversial provision, so we’ll strip out the controversial provision and be able to get the bill on and off the floor in the available amount of time,” said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Interestingly, the reports coincide with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’ first public endorsement of passing repeal in the lame duck session and Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos’ more cautious comments.

At a press availability en route to Melbourne, Australia, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told reporters that he would like Congress to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell in the lame duck session but was “not sure what the prospects for that are,“ while Amos expressed concerns about “a possible loss of unit cohesion and combat readiness if the ban is overturned.“ Amos’ remarks surprised Joint Chiefs Chairman Mike Mullen, who was under the impression that “the top brass had agreed to make recommendations privately to Defence Secretary Robert Gates.” “I was surprised by what he said and surprised he said it publicly,” Mullen told reporters in Australia.

The future of repeal is uncertain. However, during an interview with progressive bloggers before the midterm elections, Obama told AmericaBlog’s Joe Sudbay that he had a strategy and would be personally involved in ending the ban once the Senate reconvenes later this month:

Q Is there a strategy for the lame-duck session to –

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q — and you’re going to be involved?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q Will Secretary Gates be involved?

THE PRESIDENT: I’m not going to tip my hand now. But there is a strategy.

Q Okay.

THE PRESIDENT: And, look, as I said –

Q Can we call it a secret plan? (Laughter.) [Note: this wasn't me]

THE PRESIDENT: I was very deliberate in working with the Pentagon so that I’ve got the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs being very clear about the need to end this policy.

Obama also reiterated the need to repeal the policy in his post-election press conference, although administration officials have not listed the ban as a priority for the lame-duck session.