Speaking to college journalists--and later to more than 1,000 students--at MIT yesterday, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley stressed themes that have driven his fairytale candidacy from a musing to a movement.

He also explained controversial comments he made this past weekend on the issue of gays in the military this past Sunday on the ABC News program This Week.

When asked about gay rights, Bradley said he would end the ban on gays in the military and repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy--in which gays, although not required to disclose their sexual orientation when they enroll in the military, may still be discharged if they say they are homosexual.

Later, responding to a question by analyst George Will, Bradley said he "did not" consult with military officials about his ideas.

That outraged some conservatives, who wondered whether Bradley would consult others in his administration before making decisions that affect their departments.

But yesterday, Bradley told The Crimson that if he were president and if he decided to allow gays to serve openly in the military, "you'd have a maximum level of consultation with all parties involved," including the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

On the issue of gay rights, Bradley has staked a position considerably to the left of that of Vice President Al Gore '69, the acknowledged frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.

Addressing Harvard's ROTC controversy--and the ire of some conservatives who feel that Harvard's federal funding should be cut because several Harvard faculties ban ROTC--Bradley said the problem would no longer exist in his administration.

"Gays should be able to serve openly [as ROTC officers] on the Harvard campus because there'd be a change in the federal policy," he said.