Tammy Baldwin joins Obama's gay panel

Tammy Baldwin, the only openly gay woman in Congress, has joined Barack Obama's national gay leadership and policy committee. She will serve as the group's co-chair along with Tobias Wolff, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

Baldwin previously served as the head of Hillary Rodham Clinton's gay leadership team.

"I am proud to support Barack Obama for president and work hard for his election because we share a commitment to equality for all Americans," the Madison Democrat said in a statement. "This is our quest and our common goal."

In a recent op-ed article, Baldwin said she was not supporting Obama only because he is a Democrat but because of the differences between the candidates.

She listed issues ranging from the Iraq war to health care to gay issues.

She noted that Obama wants to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy and allow gays and lesbians to serve in the military without having to hide their sexual orientation. Republican John McCain wants the current policy to continue.

Obama also supports expanding the federal employment non-discrimination laws and federal hate crime laws to protect lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender people. McCain does not.