Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen began their news conference on the issue of gays in the military at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday but the report they were talking about was not released to the public on the Internet for another 15 minutes or so. Hence, people watching the on-line news conference could not immediately judge the factual assertions—or omissions—being made by Gates and Mullen as they relate to the report.
