READ John McCain's Letter, urging Robert Gates to Modify the DADT Study

In September, John McCain sent Robert Gates a letter, trying change the format of the DADT study
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Well Gates responded saying:

I instructed the working group to obtain the input of Servicemembers so that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and I, as well as the Service Chiefs, can more fully understand how a change in the DADT policy may impact unit cohesion, military readiness and effectiveness, recruiting and retention and family readiness. [...] 

The Chairman and I fully support the approach and the efforts of the working group, as do the Service Chiefs. We are confident that the working group’s report will provide us with the information we need to appropriately advise the President, and, if requested to do so, to provide our fully informed views to Congress as it considers legislative action.

Good for Gates for holding it down, but John still wasn't hearing it. However, I find this very interesting how far McCain is willing to go on this. He was against DADT before, what made him change?

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