Revisiting an old minefield?
<!– /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:”"; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} –> The question of gays serving openly in the military was a political minefield for President Bill Clinton as he entered office in 1993. Even before Clinton took the oath he got pressure from homosexual rights organizations to lift the Pentagon’s prohibition on gays serving openly in the armed forces. Clinton eventually settled on the “don’t ask, don’t tell” compromise, but the controversy dogged his administration’s early days. Could President-elect Barack Obama be about to tread the same ground? Gay activists think so, believing Obama will overhaul current law based on campaign statements. No doubt, Obama thinks “don’t ask, don’t tell” should be changed. But you’ve got to wonder whether opening an old wound — a Military Times survey of active-duty personnel showed 58 percent oppose changing the policy — is something he needs to do right away, in the middle of an economic slowdown and the war against terror. Don’t be surprised if Obama deftly puts the question on hold for awhile.
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