Amidst all the hoopla heading into Memorial Day weekend over the ‘repeal’ of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network very wisely posted a warning to all members of all service branches: nothing has changed. As a public service, I am re-posting SLDN’s warning here.

The Senate Armed Services Committee, after a closed door session this evening, voted 16-12 for the Lieberman/Levin DADT ‘repeal’ that the full House will vote on tonight or Friday morning.

This is disturbing. Center for American Progress is not only taking credit for what I call the sham ‘repeal’ compromise, they are also crowing about circulating the legislative language two months ago on Capitol Hill — while our primary LGBT national organizations on repeal were still fighting to end discharges right now under a full repeal.

This needs immediate pushback from the White House. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen announced — to a town hall of his troops! — that he’s very happy with the compromise working its way through Congress today, since it gives the senior military leaders the final say in whether it is implemented. Do you understand now why I’ve called this a sham since it surfaced earlier this week?

Most problematical is the third piece of the DADT “repeal” sham compromise — the first two are that the President, the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs must certify the military is ready for open service and the second is allowing the military to complete its study. But the third concession may cause the most problems.

Somehow, we’re supposed to trust that President Obama, Defense Secretary Gates, and Joint Chiefs Chair Mullen will recommend immediate implementation and cessation of discharges in the face of united opposition to this new compromise from the service heads.

Senator Ben Nelson (D?-NE) announced his support for the Levin/Lieberman sham repeal of DADT today, likely assuring passage. Meantime Lt Dan Choi continues to ask: “When will discharges stop, Mr President?” There’s no repeal as long as servicemembers are being discharged.

Take a look at this powerful response from Lt Dan Choi about today’s compromise on DADT ‘repeal.’ It is a delay, not a repeal. Full repeal requires the Pentagon to repeal non-discrimination policies.

This sham DADT repeal might be in trouble given House Armed Services Chair Ike Skelton’s opposition. It can’t go through committee; it’ll need to be brought up on the House floor.

Per Spencer Ackerman, writing in the Washington Independent, House Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) opposes the Levin/Lieberman/Murphy/Obama/grudgingly-Gates sham repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.