Obama Supports Defense of Marriage Act … but You Wouldn't Know It

June 17th, 2009 12:00 AM

The Obama Administration's Justice Department threw a curve ball at the same-sex marriage movement last week, filing a 54 page-brief on Thursday in support of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act.

The Washington Times reported on June 16 that “Gay activists are fuming … it represents a break in President Obama's campaign promise to repeal the 1996 legislation. The Justice brief upholding DOMA was filed in Smelt v. United States, a California lawsuit brought by Arthur Smelt and Christopher Hammer asking the federal government to give them the same benefits as heterosexual couples. The Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal, the ACLU and other gay rights groups issued a statement that said they were 'very surprised and deeply disappointed' in the filing, and they unflatteringly compared it to actions taken by the former Bush Administration.”

 This action dealt a heavy blow to “gay rights” activists and is in stark contrast to Obama's lofty campaign promises. Yet we have heard very little about it (even this report in the Washington Times was only a small item in the 'Culture' section) and we have seen even less on the news. Why?


The answer comes from a surprising source. John Aravosis, an openly gay activist, positted on his blog:


 “Note to our friends in the media. This is a story deserving a little national attention. It seems the Obama folks have gotten to the mainstream media - you'll note that practically none of the corporate media are covering the growing rupture between Obama and the gay community other than on their blogs, even after HRC [The Human Rights Campaign] sent probably the first chastising letter to a Democratic president since 1996 (and reporters always have told me in the past, it's not a story until HRC weighs in – well now they have, twice).”


Well, at least there is one thing agreed upon – the media are Obama's puppet.


Only one program has covered this topic: The Rachel Maddow Show. Maddow is an openly gay host, and showed obvious disdain for the briefing and called Obama out for lying during his campaign.


The media is giving Obama cover, so are liberal big-wigs Howard Dean, former DNC chair, had only this to say: "I think this is a big mistake. ... DOMA is unconstitutional. ... The language in the brief is really offensive and really is a terrible mistake. I doubt very much the President knew this was coming. I don't think for a minute this represents the President's position. He is now going to have to dig himself out of this because people are really upset about this, not just in the gay and lesbian community, but in the community of people interested in equal rights."


So, the President of the United States shouldn't be held accountable for what the President of the United States releases?


This was not good enough for Joe Solmonese, the president of HRC. He wrote a lengthy letter to President Obama directly imploring him “to put your principles into action and send legislation repealing DOMA to Congress.”


So why would the mainstream media completely ignore this brief when it has obviously angered homosexuals, an outspoken, minority strongly in support of the Democratic Party?


Oh, well maybe it's because they think Obama is “sophisticated”, “professorial”, and a full blown “rock star?”


Or maybe he's just “sort of God” to the media lemmings.