It's amicus brief time in the DOMA case.
Briefs in support of the Obama administration's position that DOMA is constitutional are being filed. Via GLDA, which has posted links to the briefs,, we've learned that the first briefs are from two of the nation's leading homophobic organizations: the Family Research Council (FRC) -- a designated hate group, and the National Organization for Marriage (NOM).
Here's the "Interest of the Amici" from NOM:
The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) is a nationwide, non-profit organization with a mission to protect marriage and the faith communities that sustain it. NOM was formed in response to the need for an organized opposition to same-sex marriage in state legislatures and it serves as a national resource for marriage-related initiatives at the state and local level, having been described by the Washington Post as “the preeminent organization dedicated to preventing the legalization of same-sex marriage.” In 2008, NOM formed a California ballot initiative committee in support of Proposition 8, emerging as the largest single donor to the Prop 8 campaign. The outcome of this litigation will impact NOM’s ability to pursue its mission nationally. The National Organization for Marriage is exempt from federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code § 501(c)(4).Funny how NOM claims it was "the largest single donor to the Prop 8 campaign," yet no one from NOM was willing to testify under oath in the Prop. 8 trial last year. That's because, as David Boies, said so eloquently shortly after winning the Prop. 8 trial in Federal Court:
All parties have consented to the filing of all amicus briefs.
"In a court of law you've got to come in and you've got to support those opinions, you've got to stand up under oath and cross-examination," Boies said. "And what we saw at trial is that it's very easy for the people who want to deprive gay and lesbian citizens of the right to vote [sic] to make all sorts of statements and campaign literature, or in debates where they can't be cross-examined.FRC and NOM thrive on fear and prejudice. They push junk science to bash gays. And, they'll be pushing junk briefs to further their anti-gay missions.
"But when they come into court and they have to support those opinions and they have to defend those opinions under oath and cross-examination, those opinions just melt away. And that's what happened here. There simply wasn't any evidence, there weren't any of those studies. There weren't any empirical studies. That's just made up. That's junk science. It's easy to say that on television. But a witness stand is a lonely place to lie. And when you come into court you can't do that.
"That's what we proved: We put fear and prejudice on trial, and fear and prejudice lost," Boies said.
Anyway, this is just great company for the Obama administration's Department of Justice to be in, isn't it. They've got NOM and FRC on their side. And, I'm sure Jim Messina can count on both NOM and FRC to help with fundraising and GOTV during the reelection. Because if the Obama administration continues to defend DOMA -- and the President doesn't fully "evolve" on marriage -- he may need their help.
