Flip-flop: Cindy McCain says she backs effort to keep 'don't ask'

Barely a day after she appeared in a gay-rights video urging the repeal of the military's gay ban, Cindy McCain announced she supports her husband's efforts to keep the policy in place.

"I fully support the NOH8 campaign and all it stands for and am proud to be a part of it," Ms. McCain Tweeted Friday. "But I stand by my husband's stance on DADT."

In a video released this week by gay-rights campaign NOH8, the wife of Sen. John McCain took a direct swipe at the 17-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" policy that prevents gays from serving openly in the military.

"Our political and religious leaders tell LGBT youth that they have no future ... they can't serve our country openly," McCain said.

Reporters and bloggers were quick to point out the awkwardness of McCain's stance in favor of repealing "don't ask, don't tell" when her husband led a filibuster of the repeal in the Senate this fall. He has promised to filibuster any future attempts at repealing the law as well.

Now some political observers are suggesting that Ms. McCain may have caved to pressure by the senator.

"McCain has apparently been knocked into line by her husband," suggests Joe.My.God.

"With all due respect, Cindy McCain is a liar," a clearly angry John Aravosis writes. "The only question is when she lied - today, or yesterday."

The question still outstanding is where the McCains' daughter, Meghan, stands on the issue. Meghan McCain was also part of the NOH8 campaign, and has spoken out in favor of gay marriage.

Political observers note that time is running out to repeal "don't ask." With a Republican House about to convene, chances of a repeal past the current session are considered nonexistent. But the current lame-duck session appears only marginally more hospitable to the idea.

The result could be that the repeal is stripped from a defense appropriations bill currently before Congress, but some activists see a chance to add the repeal to another "must-pass" bill before the end of the current session.

The following video was released by the NOH8 Campaign.