"today the discriminatory law known as don't ask, don't tell is finally and formally repealed. as of today patriotic americans in uniform will no longer have to lie about who they are in order to serve the country they love. as of today our armed forces will no longer lose the extraordinary skills and combat experience of so many gay and lesbian service members. today as commander in chief i want those to know who were discharged under this law that your country deeply values your service." that was the official statement out of the white house on repeal day today. president obama's re-election campaign also sent out an e-mail about the repeal from campaign manager jim messina. "today don't ask, don't tell is officially over. this is one of the administration's signature achievements. countless americans fought hard to end this law over the course of nearly two decades and president obama is proud to have signed the repeal. it's a reminder as broken as washington is and as long as change can take, people and organizations can do amazing things when they work together