I'll support them while they agree with me

John McCain, on "Hardball", Oct 18, 2006:

And I understand the opposition to [DADT], and I‘ve had these debates and discussions, but the day that the leadership of the military comes to me and says, Senator, we ought to change the policy, then I think we ought to consider seriously changing it because those leaders in the military are the ones we give the responsibility to.

Troops surveyed in 2010:

the effect of lifting the gay ban would be positive, mixed or nonexistent

Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Feb 2, 2010, to the Senate Armed Services Committee :

It is my personal belief that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would be the right thing to do.

General Colin Powell, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, statement Feb 3, 2010, in support of Adm Mullen:

In the almost seventeen years since the ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell' legislation was passed, attitudes and circumstances have changed... For the past two years, I have expressed the view that it was time for the law to be reviewed by Congress. I fully support the new approach presented to the Senate Armed Services Committee this week by Secretary of Defense Gates and Admiral Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

John McCain, on "Meet the Press", Nov 14, 2010:

We need a thorough and complete study of the effects - not how to implement a repeal, but the effects on morale and battle effectiveness. Once we get this study, we need to have hearings. And we need to examine it. And we need to look at whether it's the kind of study that we wanted.

So... John McCain will support the leadership of the military as long as they agree with him.

Funny how some things just never change.