Years ago, fairy tales all began with ‘Once upon a time…’  now we know they all begin with, ‘If I am elected’. Carolyn Warner

No one is shocked, or no one should be, when any politician doesn’t fulfil election promises, but I admit to being surprised by Obama turn on the so called “defense of marriage” act, especially how strongly his administration seems  to have come out swinging. 

Once upon a time, (February 11, 2004) Barack Obama wrote this

“For the record, I opposed [the Defense of Marriage Act] in 1996. It should be repealed and I will vote for its repeal on the Senate floor. I will also oppose any proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gays and lesbians from marrying. This is an effort to demonize people for political advantage, and should be resisted.”

Well, now lets hear from LGTB Legal and Advocacy Groups who put out a  press release June 12, 2009:

“We are very surprised and deeply disappointed in the manner in which the Obama administration has defended the so-called Defense of Marriage Act in a brief filed today in Smelt v. United States, a lawsuit brought in federal court in California by a married same-sex couple asking the federal government to treat them equally with respect to federal protections and benefits. The administration is using many of the same flawed legal arguments that the Bush administration used. These arguments rightly have been rejected by several state supreme courts as legally unsound and discriminatory. . . . When President Obama was courting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender voters, he said that he believed that DOMA should be repealed. We ask him to live up to his emphatic campaign promises, to stop making false and damaging legal arguments, and immediately to introduce a bill to repeal DOMA and ensure that every married couple in America has the same access to federal protections.”

It is really a betrayal of all members of society when there is not equal protection and equal rights.  Yes, progressives are pushing back, but sadly the fight is going to be a lot harder than many had thought as, once again, the President heads to the right.