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January 06, 2009
Bob Barr: "DOMA has to go"
Posted by: Andoni
This won't seem as newsworthy a statement as it is, unless you realize that Bob Barr was the author DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) in 1996.
In an Op Ed in today's Los Angeles Times, Barr goes through the reasoning of why he proposed DOMA in the manner that he did, how he had to compromise with fellow Republicans who wanted the federal government to tell the states that they could only recognize unions between a man and a woman, and why he thinks it is time for DOMA to be repealed now.
This is fascinating stuff folks. I know Barr personally and have spoken to him about this issue many times over the years. To see him grow this way is mind-boggling. Barr is a federalist, and unlike most of his Republican colleagues, his view of federalism seems to have become purer over the years. You may argue, where was his federalism in 1996 when wrote this law. That's a good question. He was probably more influenced by fellow Georgian and Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich at the time. But to see this man admit errors he's made over the years gives me more respect for him.
So when Obama thinks the time is ripe to repeal DOMA (hopefull soon), I envision a press conference with Bob Barr standing next to him. It will be a most powerful statement to see the author of DOMA standing there saying Obama is 100% correct. This could indeed be the era of a new kind of politics.
As an aside, when Obama proposes his HIV/AIDS initiatives, I expect to see Rick Warren standing beside him endorsing those plans as well.
P.S. Sorry I'm not uploading a photo of Bob Barr. I'm still in rural Thailand using a 28.8 dial up connection. Most of the time it's slower than 28.8, and it's a miracle I'm connected at all. And the server is down half the time, to boot.
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Comments
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:( Just listened to Matt Laurer and Ann Coulter and I found myself agreeing with most everything Ann said about America's social problems. sigh
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Oh gag. The only thing you can count on when it comes to Bob Barr is his unchecked narcissism. His attempt to rationalize his awkward leap on to the Libertarian bandwagon in terms of nuanced intellection is signature Barr – phony and self-involved at best – treacherous and duplicitous at worst.
Indeed, his capacity for self-aggrandizement is only exceeded by his suffocating hypocrisy: as House sponsor of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, a journalist once asked Barr which of his own marriages he was defending – his first, second, or third? He declined to respond. Now that his Libertarian gambit casts an appalling shadow on his disgraceful congressional legacy, Barr recently vowed to capitulate when elected President. Wahh-ha-ha!
Barr’s screeching for Bill Clinton’s impeachment, practically at the inauguration dais, prompted Jay Bookman of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution editorial board to brand him a “braying jackass.” I couldn’t put it better.
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Citizens would be grateful to hear such good news.
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Im leaning on it. Great post.
The comments to this entry are closed.
Farhang on Jan 7, 2009 8:32:50 AM:
So he is "becoming" a libertarian, at last. Some may say we are in this post-prop 8 mess partly because of laws like DOMA, but now ... let's welcome this change, better than never.