The Irony of Richard Socarides' Disbelief Over Team Obama Defending DOMA

The Irony of Richard Socarides' Disbelief Over Team Obama Defending DOMA

This has got to be a nightmare for the White House political office, especially as Organizing for America ramps up efforts to rebuild a coalition for the midterms which includes gays. I want the Democrats to keep both houses of Congress more than most. It’s very important that we do that if gay rights are important to you. So I can’t understand why the president’s senior advisers permit the Justice Department to defend this case. … It’s incomprehensible.

—Richard Socarides, former, uh, senior adviser to President Clinton who, uh, "permit" President Clinton to sign both the Defense of Marriage Act and Don't Ask Don't Tell into law. It's like, dude, you freakin' wrote the Clinton administration's talking points on these laws, like where you suggested Clinton officials, when asked about DOMA, respond, "[S]ince the President does not believe that the federal government should recognize gay marriage, he does not believe it is appropriate for scarce federal resources to be devoted to providing spousal benefits to partners in gay and lesbian relationships." Obama doesn't get to use the same line?