It’s not so much that Rep. Skelton opposes the DADT repeal that Rep. Murphy is going to put in the defense authorization during the House floor vote later this week. It’s how he’s opposing it:

“In testimony before the House Armed Services Committee this spring and in a recent letter, Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen asked Congress to defer any legislative action regarding ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ until after the Department of Defense completes its comprehensive review later this year. In a statement today, the Pentagon indicated that ideally, Secretary Gates continues to prefer that the Department complete this review before Congress considers legislation. This is a reasonable and responsible request that I respect.

“My position on this issue has been clear – I support the current policy and I will oppose any amendment to repeal ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.’ I hope my colleagues will avoid jumping the gun and wait for DOD to complete its work.”

That’s a reference to Gates’ reluctant acceptance, which puts the legislative repeal of DADT ahead of his working group’s recommendations for how he should implement it. Gates is not opposed to repealing DADT — quite the contrary. Nor, he said today, is he opposed to the DADT-repeal legislative compromise, even if he doesn’t like it.

But if Skelton can successfully frame Gates as really actually opposed to the measure, that might gin up opposition among the conserva-Dems that will probably make up the margin for the vote in the House and most definitely in the Senate Armed Services Committee mark-up tomorrow. That’s why Servicemembers United is keeping up the pressure:

Military veterans will deliver more than 20,000 postcards to Capitol Hill tomorrow with a clear message – the time to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is now. The postcards, signed by supporters of repeal from across the country, will be delivered on the eve of critical votes in the House and Senate. Joining them will be Rep. Susan Davis, D-Calif., Chairwoman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

Update, 7:27 p.m.: Oh, and you want to really complicate the politics of passing the DADT repeal in the defense authorization?