The Globeâs Brian Bender and Matt Viser broke the story at 10:30 Tuesday morning on the Boston.com Political Intelligence blog. They chose to emphasize the âno.â

Thatâs an artful hedge by the senator, and it presented a challenge for a reporter covering his statement: whether to emphasize the ânoâ or emphasize the âmaybe later.â

U.S. Sen. Scott Brown announced yesterday he will vote ânoâ on repealing the militaryâs âDonât Ask Donât Tellâ policy if it comes up in the Senate tomorrow but heâs âkeeping an open mindâ and may vote to repeal at some point in the future.

The Associated Press, at 1 oâclock Tuesday afternoon, chose to emphasize âmaybe later.â

Sen. Scott Brown says he canât at the moment support a repeal of the militaryâs âdonât ask, donât tellâ policy that bans gays from serving openly in the military.

The Wednesday morning Boston Herald led with the âno.â

In a decision that puts him at odds with much of the Bay State congressional delegation, U.S. Sen. Scott Brown said heâd oppose the repeal of a policy that forbids gays from serving openly in the military.

The Attleboro Sun-Chronicle reported Wednesday morning Brown is âurging cautionâ on repealing âDonât Ask Donât Tellâ and, in the storyâs second paragraph, put the emphasis on âmaybe later.â

While congressional Democrats and the Obama administration move toward repealing the ban on gays serving openly in the military, U.S. Sen. Scott Brown is urging caution.

Brown, R-Mass., an officer in the National Guard, said the proposal should wait for the results of a study the Defense Department is conducting.

Actually, the proposed amendment â see section (b) â would not become law until the Defense Department study is completed and submitted to the president, the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Here is what the statement Brown released yesterday said, as reported in the Political Intelligence blog postâs fifth paragraph:

I am keeping an open mind, but I do not support moving ahead until I am able to finish my review, the Pentagon completes its study, and we can be assured that a new policy can be implemented without jeopardizing the mission of our military.

To me, thatâs a clear âno,â and thatâs what should be emphasized. The news here is that there may be a Senate vote on repealing âDonât Ask Donât Tellâ tomorrow, and if there is, Brown is against it.

That the senator is keeping an âopen mindâ and â we are to understand from his statement â may vote in favor of repeal six months from now is certainly part of the news, of course. But to put the emphasis on Brownâs hedge is to play up his dodge and play down todayâs news.