The struggle over gays in the military offers an important lesson about Washington: When public opinion moves, politicians follow, even on the most seemingly toxic issues. And with the proper patient and, yes, political approach, "do overs" are possible.
As the finishing touches are being put on a major revision of "don't ask, don't tell," it's not yet time for opponents of the 17-year-old discriminatory policy to rejoice; the Pentagon hasn't completed its review. But the signs are good that DADT will be effectively dead soon.
Give some credit to the Obama White House, which angered many gay-rights activists by putting the issue on the back burner last year. As I try to explain in The Promise, Obama and Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel applied a policy of "no distractions" in 2009 amid the debate over health-care reform. They also didn't want to roil relations with the Pentagon while policy toward Afghanistan was under review.
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