Robert Gibbs, the incoming White House press secretary, responded Friday to a question posted by “Thaddeus from Lansing, Mich.,” on Mr. Obama’s Web site, www.change.gov, asking if the president-elect would repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell.”

“Thaddeus,” Mr. Gibbs answered, “you don’t hear a politician give a one-word answer much. But it’s yes.”

This change is long overdue but only time will tell if President Obama will have the courage, persistence and integrity necessary to make it happen.   Bill Clinton certainly did not as he came into office with a promise to repeal the military’s policy of excluding homosexuals from service in the Armed Forces and instead almost immediately betrayed us by agreeing to a compromise which resulted in the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy which was actually worse than the original policy and resulted in more homosexuals than ever being expelled from the military.