Former President George W. Bush made a point of saying he followed the advice of his generals. Just as conservatives favored the notion then, they should get behind it now.

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is more important than any general by virtue of his position as the highest ranking uniformed officer in the nation, but what he is saying isn't so pleasing to conservative ears.

Last Tuesday Adm. Mullen came out strongly before the Senate Armed Services Committee against the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy -- the awkward, hypocritical compromise made during the Clinton administration that allowed gays and lesbians to serve with honor as long as they didn't declare their sexual orientation.

"No matter how I look at the issue," he said, "I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens." While he noted that he was speaking for himself, Adm. Mullen added: "For me ... it comes down to integrity -- theirs as individuals and ours as an institution."

As his comments echoed President Barack Obama's call for a change in his recent State of the Union address, it is easy to see this as a senior officer saluting his commander in chief and getting on with the job. But that seemed more the reaction of Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who spoke of a lengthy Pentagon review of the policy with a view to ending it. By contrast, Adm. Mullen's sincerity was there for all to see.

None of this went down well with Republicans, including Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Just as the military is often said to be planning to fight the last war, the Republicans appear to want to go on fighting the last culture war -- which suggests that overturning the 1993 law that codified "don't ask, don't tell" won't be easy. Their view was set out in advance by Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, the House Republican leader, who asked: "In the middle of two wars and in the middle of this giant security threat, why would we want to get into this debate?"

Good question for which good answers are available: Because, to paraphrase Adm. Mullen, it comes down to integrity -- for gay people as individuals and the military as an institution. Because, by all reports, rank-and-file members of the military are not obsessed with this issue (they have bigger things to worry about). Because society has become more tolerant since 1993 with five states allowing gay marriage. Because a volunteer force in a time of war can't afford to turn away talented recruits due to prejudice.

Adm. Mullen may be speaking for himself, but conservatives would be wise to give his opinion deference, too. Serving one's country shouldn't depend on sexual preference. "Don't ask, don't tell" must go.

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