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Defense of Marriage Act Splits '08ers

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June 16, 2008 8:03 PM

ABC News' Teddy Davis, Gregory Wallace, and John Santucci Report: As same-sex marriage was getting underway in California, the presidential candidates again found themselves on opposite sides of repealing the federal Defense of Marriage Act (D.O.M.A.).

In an interview with ABC News' Jake Tapper, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was asked if he would re-think his pledge to repeal D.O.M.A. in the wake of the recent California Supreme Court decision requiring the Golden State to recognize gay and lesbian marriages.

"No," said Obama. "I still think that these are decisions that need to be made at a state and local level. . . . As president, my job is to make sure that the federal government is not discriminating and that we maintain the federal government's historic role in not meddling with what states are doing when it comes to marriage law."

Asked "does it bother you, what California is doing," Obama again answered, "no." 

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., reaffirmed his support for D.O.M.A. on Monday, drawing an implicit contrast with his Democratic rival.

"I voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, which clearly indicated the unique status of a marriage between man and woman," said McCain. "I will continue to support that, I will continue to have my position."

D.O.M.A., which was signed into law by former President Bill Clinton in 1996, has two key components: One stipulates that no state need recognize a marriage between persons of the same sex, even if the marriage was recognized in another state; the other prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages for any purpose, even if recognized by one of the states.  The second provision effectively bars federal benefits from flowing to same-sex couples in state-recognized unions. 

June 16, 2008 in Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (87)

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==i hope that one day that being gay will not get all the religous kooks all worked up...==

The Devil wants the same thing.

Soooo, you want us to ignore what God says about it, is THAT it?

==...and they will no longer be spewing there hate and violence around the world.==

Then, tell the Muslims to stop it.

==imagine a world were the religous just keep it to themselves.==

Funny how that statement coincides with what the Devil wants.

So, you want us to ignore Jesus' Great Commission to us, huh???

Posted by: Max Manly | Jun 16, 2008 10:54:20 PM

Those that believe in same sex marriages are truly godless people like most democrats running for office are.

Posted by: dumb | Jun 16, 2008 10:56:32 PM

==If two people love each other and want to be together, what on this Earth does it have to do with anyone else but the two people in the relationship?==

Ok, so, two sisters wanna get married, maybe even three, and you got no problem telling your kids that you think that that's ok. You'll even promote it to your kids, huh. We see.

Posted by: Max Manly | Jun 16, 2008 10:56:56 PM

This country starts to frighten me. Women drinks and smoke like men. Many men have lost their manhood. What amazes me is liberals have totally lost family values. Men who have trouble finding women will have an excuse to become gay or vice versa. Same-sex is already a taboo in private!!! I don't need to see or expose my kids to public to see this on the street. It's a good thing that most of you supporting this live in California, Chicago or New York City.

Posted by: hannah | Jun 16, 2008 10:56:59 PM

==Those that believe in same sex marriages are truly godless people like most democrats running for office are.==

You see things as they really are. Thanks.

Posted by: Max Manly | Jun 16, 2008 10:57:59 PM

==It's a good thing that most of you supporting this live in California, Chicago or New York City. ==

All NObama strongholds. Remember this this coming November.

Posted by: Max Manly | Jun 16, 2008 10:59:22 PM

==this is a subject for the church not our government...==

Then, you disagree with the court's ruling in that the court has no bidness taking up this issue.

Posted by: Max Manly | Jun 16, 2008 11:01:02 PM

==I don't need to see or expose my kids to public to see this on the street.==

Just keep an eye on your kids around public toilets.

Posted by: Max Manly | Jun 16, 2008 11:02:12 PM

Obama is a woosie.

He made a grand stand on rowe vs wade.

Gay marriage he cops out on leaving it up to states. Not having the guts to say he is against it. pawns it off on to the states. PAST Statements he made was against gay marriage.

Just like guns - He is to chicken to say he against them, he pawns that off to the states to decided also. woosie. he has made past statements being for gun control.

The obama way.

He does not want anyone to be able to blaming him for anything. Like he does to everyone else.

wooise he is!

Makes you wonder what else he will pawn off on to the states. His social programs, his health care, things he is to scared to make a stand on.

Posted by: seah | Jun 16, 2008 11:02:39 PM

==I am an American Citizen who deserves the same rights as all American citizens.==

You already have those Rights.

After all, the laws that define "marriage" as being between "one man and one woman" don't say that the man and the woman have to be heterosexual. So, a man claiming to be homosexual may already marry a woman who is homosexual, for instance.

Posted by: Max Manly | Jun 16, 2008 11:05:17 PM

==Obama...Not having the guts to say he is against it.==

That's cuz he wants it both ways, in a manner of speaking.

He wants to appear to be for it while appearing to be against it, and his stupid fans will eat it up.

Posted by: Max Manly | Jun 16, 2008 11:07:16 PM

==I can no longer see how it is a risk to my or anyone's marriage.==

That's cuz you don't care about anybody else but you. You don't look beyond you.

Posted by: Max Manly | Jun 16, 2008 11:09:10 PM

==this is a subject for the church...==

And the Church aligns with God on this, that what we now call "homosexuality" is an "abomination." The Church also aligns with God that "marriage" is between a man, as husband, and a woman, as his wife.

So, we're happy that you good wit dat.

==...not our government...==

The court is part of government.

So, then, you discouraged them from taking this to the courts.

Posted by: Max Manly | Jun 16, 2008 11:16:46 PM

==I don't need to see or expose my kids to public to see this on the street.==

The view of the Homosexual Militia is that they don't care what you wanna see, or, in this case, want not to see; and they don't care what you want your kids to see, of, in this case, want them not to see. Their view is that they wanna impose this on you and your kids and this society and this culture and this country, and their MO is to accuse you of hate until you give in. Just say, "NO!"

Posted by: Max Manly | Jun 16, 2008 11:22:09 PM

==this is [not] a subject for...our government...==

Then, why are they pressuring the government?????

Posted by: Max Manly | Jun 16, 2008 11:26:09 PM

As a middle-aged happily married woman and mom of three, I can't imagine why legalizing gay marriage would be a threat to my marriage or any other. Let's not ignore that the divorce rate is now around 50%. Let's not ignore that in Europe where gay marriages are allowed their divorce rate didn't get worse.
Instead we should be spending our time and energy figuring out how to make all marriages stronger, whether straight or gay. Because keeping families together is generally good for society and kids. We should recognize the extreme financial stress spouses are under today. Some people are working two jobs to make ends meet. That doesn't leave much time for family togetherness that is the glue in a marriage. So all those people who are complaining about gay marriage, why don't you work on a real problem facing families, like lack of health insurance or this country needing a living minimum wage or how the heck poor people will pay their heating bill this winter?

Posted by: Lydia | Jun 16, 2008 11:49:04 PM

==I can't imagine why legalizing gay marriage would be a threat to my marriage or any other.==

Of course you can't. That's cuz you won't look beyond yourself. The Homosexual Militia hopes you won't, either.

The fact is that this goes beyond individuals to society, culture and country. THAT's where the damage is done.

==...we should be spending our time and energy figuring out how to make all marriages stronger, whether straight or gay.==

Why should we try to make sam-sex "marriage" stronger? What is the godly purpose? What is the purpose to society, culture and country?

==Because keeping families together is generally good for society and kids.==

You mean that, where two women are "married," a fatherless household is good for society and kids?????

You mean that, where two men are "married," a motherless household is good for society and kids?????

Since when????

Posted by: Max Manly | Jun 16, 2008 11:59:57 PM

==Let's not ignore that the divorce rate is now around 50%.==

Let's not ignore the fact that you are comparing the larger number of heterosexual couples to a much lower number of "the other ones." Not a fair comparison, and dishonest, at best.

Try taking the per capita numbers and see what you come up with.

In any case, what does the divorce rate among heteros have to do with this issue?? Are you trying to tell us that you advise your kids that it would be better for them to go homosexual cuz heterosexuals have such a high divorce rate????

Posted by: Max Manly | Jun 17, 2008 12:04:24 AM

==...we should be spending our time and energy figuring out how to make all marriages stronger, whether straight or gay. Because keeping families together is generally good for society and kids.==

You don't see the difference between the union of a man and a woman, and the "union" of a man and a man, or a woman and a woman???? You don't see how they play off each other for the children's benefit? You don't see what that benefit is???

Did you tell your husband that your marriage is just as good as the motherless man-man "union" and as the fatherless woman-woman "union," that you believe that fathers are not needed?

You don't see that a man and a woman have different world views that benefit the children, that, with only women, or only men, the child gets only one perspective???

Posted by: Max Manly | Jun 17, 2008 12:13:53 AM

--...keeping families together is generally good...==

Keeping a family where the man is husband to a woman who is his wife is good for the family and society; but compare that with the so-called "same-sex 'marriage,'" and tell us the benefits to society of it.

Tell us, too, according to the Word of God, what is godly about the so-called "same-sex 'marriage.'"

Posted by: Max Manly | Jun 17, 2008 12:19:09 AM

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