No Defense of DOMA
Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Wed, February 23, 2011 -- 12:50 PM ET
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Justice Department to Stop Defending Federal Law on Gay Marriage
President Obama, in a major legal policy shift, has directed the Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act - the 1996 law that bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages - against lawsuits challenging it as unconstitutional.
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Wednesday sent a letter to Congress to inform them that the Justice Department will now take the position in court that the Defense of Marriage Act should be struck down as a violation of gay couples' rights to equal protection under the law.
"The President and I have concluded that classifications based on sexual orientation warrant heightened scrutiny and that, as applied to same-sex couples legally married under state law" a crucial provision of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, Mr. Holder wrote.
Obviously, very good news, although there is still a long way to go in the legal process.
Of course, I still fully expect to hear hard-core left wing activists screaming at some point in the coming 2012 campaign that the two parties are exactly the same. I'm sure a McCain administration would have made the same decision.
Other random thoughts:
1. While I"m glad that the Obama Administration is taking such a large degree of interest in heading off the violence in Libya, I fear that the West's options may be limited. Aside from logistical considerations, there is the danger that Arab regimes could use any U.S. intervention as a propaganda tool and portray opposition movements as being products of U.S. meddling. This would not bode well for protests, either in Libya or in other countries.
2. My cold is getting better, although progress is extremely slow. I had another day of mostly resting and recuperating. The bright side of this is that I got to read a lot more of Daemon, since it's one of those books that become hard to put down. I thought I was starting to see where the whole thing was going until a completely unanticipated plot twist ambushed me and blew my theory all to hell. I love that kind of story.
The New York Times
Wed, February 23, 2011 -- 12:50 PM ET
-----
Justice Department to Stop Defending Federal Law on Gay Marriage
President Obama, in a major legal policy shift, has directed the Justice Department to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act - the 1996 law that bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages - against lawsuits challenging it as unconstitutional.
Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Wednesday sent a letter to Congress to inform them that the Justice Department will now take the position in court that the Defense of Marriage Act should be struck down as a violation of gay couples' rights to equal protection under the law.
"The President and I have concluded that classifications based on sexual orientation warrant heightened scrutiny and that, as applied to same-sex couples legally married under state law" a crucial provision of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, Mr. Holder wrote.
Obviously, very good news, although there is still a long way to go in the legal process.
Of course, I still fully expect to hear hard-core left wing activists screaming at some point in the coming 2012 campaign that the two parties are exactly the same. I'm sure a McCain administration would have made the same decision.
Other random thoughts:
1. While I"m glad that the Obama Administration is taking such a large degree of interest in heading off the violence in Libya, I fear that the West's options may be limited. Aside from logistical considerations, there is the danger that Arab regimes could use any U.S. intervention as a propaganda tool and portray opposition movements as being products of U.S. meddling. This would not bode well for protests, either in Libya or in other countries.
2. My cold is getting better, although progress is extremely slow. I had another day of mostly resting and recuperating. The bright side of this is that I got to read a lot more of Daemon, since it's one of those books that become hard to put down. I thought I was starting to see where the whole thing was going until a completely unanticipated plot twist ambushed me and blew my theory all to hell. I love that kind of story.