Well maybe the conventional wisdom can be wrong now and then.
Repealing the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy that bans gays from serving openly was all but dead in Congress not long ago. Even when the House revived it Wednesday and voted to repeal it, there appeared to be little chance it would get through the Senate.
But lo and behold, the Senate is poised to do the right thing. Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Scott Brown of Massachusetts on Thursday said they would support a repeal. On Wednesday, Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine said she would vote to end the ban.
That means 61 senators have said they want to end the policy, which since 1993 has discriminated against people who are willing to risk their lives for their country. That's enough to overcome any filibuster.
The only thing that could block it now is naked obstructionism from opponents who could delay a vote by many hours with procedural maneuvers. With the holiday recess looming, that would be enough to kill it.
To read the complete editorial, visit www.charlotteobserver.com.