The repeal of "don't ask, don't tell" allowing gays to serve openly in the military is a landmark legislation - a historic civil rights bill that will be remembered in the history books for generations to come. But the political implications of its passage are also very significant, for both the White House and several leading senators whose fortunes changed overnight.

Here are the four big political winners in the wake of the "don't ask, don't tell" repeal:



1. President Obama. Obama, without even much behind-the-scenes arm twisting, managed to see one of his campaign promises, and an issue near and dear to his liberal base passed - in a bipartisan fashion, no less. It, along with the tax compromise, will make his Christmas vacation in Hawaii much sweeter.

If anything, Obama should have been more outspoken in his support for the bill - it was the work of leading senators (notably Joe Lieberman, Susan Collins and Harry Reid) that helped revive its prospects. But he also has a great opportunity to have his own Clinton-like Sister Souljah moment thanks to repeal.

As former Bush speechwriter David Frum pointed out over the weekend, Obama has a golden opportunity to score conservative points thanks to the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell." Frum noted that he could use his upcoming State of the Union to urge Ivy League universities to end the ban on ROTC recruiting on their campuses, now that gays can serve openly in the military. That would make him sound both pro-military and score symbolic points that would make the right happy.