Will Obama flip flop on gay marriage?

[WillParkinson]

Will Obama flip flop on gay marriage?

(Boston, Massachusetts) Fears are mounting that the Obama administration is about to flip-flop on its opposition to the Federal Defense of Marriage Act.

Last March, a federal lawsuit was filed in Boston challenging the law which bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriage. The Justice Department has until June 22 to respond to the lawsuit. So far there has been no comment from either the department or the White House.

The Department of Justice typically defends laws passed by Congress. But during the election campaign, then-candidate Obama pledged to overturn the ban.

A grassroots online campaign called Equal Rep has begun to pressure the administration to keep his campaign promise by asking Attorney General Eric Holder “not to defend this unconstitutional law.” 365gay blogger Emma Ruby-Sachs helped craft the legal memo to Obama, which states in part, “The President reserves the right to refuse to defend an unconstitutional statute. Section 3 of the DOMA is clearly unconstitutional in that it denies married same-sex couples economic benefits granted to heterosexual married couples from the same state without providing a rational basis for this discrimination. ”

http://www.365gay.com/news/will-obama-flip-flop-on-gay-marriage/

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

1. Yes

[meegbear]

2. Is the Pope Catholic? Does a bear shit in the woods?

DUH!

[stray cat]

3. He and Biden were both in favor of civil unions - how is that likely to change?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

4. they campaigned on over turning DOMA. thats how.

[imdjh]

5. I thought they slyly winked at us when they said that. Was I wrong?

[msongs]

6. shhh, don't ask don't tell nt

[able1]

7. NO. He's a change agent, remember? EOM

[emulatorloo]

8. Can we drop the term "FLIP FLOP" - negative connotations

It would be a good thing if Obama changed his mind on the issue. Surely 365gay agrees.

FLIP FLOP is such a Republican smear word, I am surprised the author used it.

[joeybee12]

10. If the flip-flop fits, wear it...n/t

[emulatorloo]

11. So if Obama changes his mind on gay marriage, that is bad? eom

[GodlessBiker]

14. Usually, a "flip-flop" is a change of position in the wrong direction. A change of position in ...

the right (or should I say "correct") direction is a "change of heart after considerable reflection and thought."

[emulatorloo]

22. Agreed n/t

[IntravenousDemilo]

20. As a side note, when and where I grew up, flip-flops were called thongs.

And you wore two of them.

If this evokes a picture of Obama in a thong, well, you're welcome. He is pretty fit.

[Creideiki]

16. Don't worry

Unless someone sneaks up behind him and hits him with a Clue-by-Four, he won't flip-flop.

Second class citizenship is so much fun! At least it only costs us extra taxes for the right to not have the same rights that the heterosexually privileged President has.

[SacredCow]

9. Is he campaigning for re-election yet? No?

Then more than likely, he will.

Homos are only useful for their votes and campaign donations, after all. Once elected, it's best to ignore them.

:eyes:

[Duncan Grant]

12. Past behavior predicts future behavior. Have we seen substantive leadership on LGBT issues?

And how 'bout that visionary policy statement and message of congratulations after Iowa? Those right-wing conservative moralists are still reeling from that!

[Not Me]

13. Will he?? He already has.

and getting smacked by this bus hurt; he had me fooled.

[Creideiki]

15. He's a Fierce Defender of LGBT Rights (TM)

and at any minute, the apologistas will be in here reminding us of this.

[BR_Parkway]

17. What happens if they don't file anything by June 22nd? Do the people

suing win their case?

Pelosi is saying they don't have the votes to overturn it, so would this be a stealth way to get rid of the law - let the "activist" judges do it?

I'm thinking of the DADT case where they weren't going to appeal and just let the date expire - now they have to actually show the supporting studies and such to the judge that show allowing GLBT to serve would harm national security/undermine morale - prior to this case, the courts had been willing to take the gov't at their word that it would be harmful - again, if they can't prove it (or do an intentionally piss-poor job in court) then the judge could throw it out.

Is the administration (who is politically savvy enough to count the votes) doing a stealth maneuver to get rid of both? Even while denying the other side any political gain by not allowing them the opportunity to use it as a wedge issue against the Dems?

on edit:spellcheck should become my friend

[Creideiki]

18. How can a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate

with a filibuster-proof majority once Franken is seated not have the votes to pass the repeal?

Colbert made a joke that the Republican Party should move to rename the Democratic Party the Republican Party. Maybe that's not so much a joke as he thought.

[BR_Parkway]

21. Because of idiots like the Blue Dogs - hell, Asheville is probably one

of the most gay friendly and accepting parts of the state - yet the D (INO) they sent to the House is Schuler - who doesn't seem to ever meet a Republican idea that he can't enthusiastically embrace.

[totodeinhere]

23. The case would go forward without input from the Justice Department.

Other interested parties such as right wing organizations who might oppose the suit could still file friend of the court briefs.

[IntravenousDemilo]

19. In order to change his mind on this...

... Ebenezer Obama will have to be visited successively by the Ghost of Marriage Past, the Ghost of Marriage Present, and the Ghost of Marriage Yet to Come. Then he will have his epiphany.

[Toasterlad]

26. Dupe.

[IntravenousDemilo]

28. ?

[ShadowLiberal]

24. Err... Obama promised to overturn DOMA? When?

Seriously, he promised that? I read a ton of political stories about the 08 election in 2007 and 2008, and I never once remember even a hint of Obama promising to repeal the defense of marriage act. You'd think some third party GOP group would have hit him on it?

But seriously, the Supreme Court should have struck down the defense of marriage act a long time ago, it's a clear violation of federalism. Under federalism stuff like businesses licenses, marriage, etc, issued by any state are supposed to be valid in all states if you go there with it, the federal government isn't supposed to be involved in stuff like issuing drivers licenses, and marriage.

[Not Me]

25. From his own campaign website 02/28/08

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/alexokrent/gGggJS

...As your President, I will use the bully pulpit to urge states to treat same-sex couples with full
equality in their family and adoption laws. I personally believe that civil unions represent the best
way to secure that equal treatment. But I also believe that the federal government should not
stand in the way of states that want to decide on their own how best to pursue equality for gay and
lesbian couples — whether that means a domestic partnership, a civil union, or a civil marriage.
Unlike Senator Clinton, I support the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
– a position I have held since before arriving in the U.S. Senate. While some say we should repeal
only part of the law, I believe we should get rid of that statute altogether. Federal law should not
discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does. I
have also called for us to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and I have worked to improve the Uniting
American Families Act so we can afford same-sex couples the same rights and obligations as
married couples in our immigration system.

(Emphasis is mine)

[queerart]

29. Thanks For Posting This.....

I just love it when it's tossed right in their hypocritical faces....... as if Bush had pulled this, they would be lined up around the block to criticize.....



OK Kids.... so the magic word for today is "Liar"........


li⋅ar
  /ˈlaɪər/

–noun
a person who tells lies.

Origin:
bef. 950; ME lier, OE lēogere. See lie 1 , -ar 1

Synonyms:
falsifier, perjurer, prevaricator.




.... and will someone please cue the Crickets sound track on the way out.......

[Toasterlad]

27. He Already Has.

Once he won the election, he ran screaming away from any GLBT cause he could see, with his hands thrust high in the air towards Jeebus, shrieking like a 10 year old girl.