Mark Udall joined a dozen colleagues yesterday in his continued efforts to urge the repeal of what he calls the "misguided" Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, which forces gay and lesbian members of the armed forces to "lie," he says, "about their identity." In a news release on his Web site, the Democratic senator clearly expresses that he believes the policy is wrong-headed: "Not only does it go against the principles and the standards our military relies on, it puts our national security at risk." He and the other senators are backing a bill that would place a moratorium on discharges of troops who are openly gay or lesbian, as the military takes about a year to study the best ways to nullify the policy. Dropping the 1993 protocol has gained support from top military officials, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, but some in the GOP criticize any Pentagon study precisely for that reason, arguing that it could be biased toward ending the policy permanently because officials have already aired their views (via The Associated Press).