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Originally Posted by DrModern
I'll give you the repeal of DADT, but I think it's pretty disingenuous to claim that instructing your DOJ no longer to mount a legal defense of the constitutionality of a law that's still in full force and effect amounts to some sort of serious victory for gay rights. "We won't use our legal team's resources to defend it" -- it being the biggest federal impediment to marriage equality -- stops pretty far short of what gay and lesbian people deserve.
DOMA repeal will not happen as long as GOP controls the House. Ordering the DOJ to stop defending DOMA is an improvement from the status quo, albeit an insufficient improvement.
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These things are all being passed by ballot initiative, i.e. non-partisan popular vote, i.e. direct democracy. These are cases where legislators, who were elected by the people to do the job of making law and representing the interests of their constituencies in the law-making process, are essentially abdicating that responsibility. Whenever there's a tough and controversial issue that's likely to have serious consequences for politicians' reputations, they basically all decide to punt the question back to the people, so they can both avoid being answerable to supporters if it fails or held accountable by opponents if it passes. It's hard to see that Democrats deserve much, if any, credit for these things.
This is untrue on its face.
WA, CT and NY all made gay marriage legal in the legislature. MA made it legal in the courts, with judges appointed and confirmed by elected politicians. Surely, you must be aware of this.
I'm not sure about the other states, and I am too tired and too tipsy to look it up tonight.
Anyway, my point is that liberal pols make this happen, conservative (libertarian) pols don't.
EDIT: looks like VT and NH both legislated gay marriage as well.
Last edited by Jim Russell; 11-10-2012 at 05:16 AM.