Defending Marriage

Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: As you will recall, Attorney General Eric Holder announced two months ago that the Obama Justice Department would no longer defend normal marriage in our nation's courts. According to Holder, President Obama had determined that the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman, was unconstitutional and discriminatory.

To his credit, Speaker John Boehner said if the administration refused to do its job, then he would defend the law Congress passed. On Monday, April 18th, it was announced that the House Bi-Partisan Legal Advisory Committee had retained the counsel of former Solicitor General Paul Clement, a partner at the law firm King and Spalding, to defend DOMA.

Obama and other liberal Democrats, who are spending billions of dollars each day, were quick to blast Speaker Boehner and House Republicans for wasting so much taxpayer money ($500,000) "to defend discrimination," as Nancy Pelosi put it.  Predictably, the militant homosexual rights movement went on the attack. Various groups promised boycotts of King and Spalding and "educational campaigns" to notify clients, law schools and potential new employees about the firm's involvement in the case. Protests outside of the firm's Atlanta headquarters were planned for this week.

Yesterday, King and Spalding, citing concerns with the contract's vetting procedure, caved in to the pressure from the left and withdrew its representation. To his credit, Paul Clement immediately resigned from King and Spalding and promised to continue the job he started.

This episode is more evidence of the very real culture war over the values that define our society. It also demonstrates once again just how determined the left is to intimidate and silence those who oppose its radical ideology.

Consider this: There are dozens of lawyers at some of America's most prestigious law firms who are volunteering their services to the alleged Jihadists in GITMO. They do that with no danger of a backlash from their employers or the public. In fact, many have received awards and applause from the left for their defense of unpopular clients and causes.

But a firm that dares to defend common sense -- that marriage is the union of one man and one woman -- leads to condemnation and protests. And rather than stand its ground in support of the law and the views of tens of millions of Americans who have voted over and over again in support of normal marriage, the firm retreated. How is it that defending Jihadists attracts accolades while defending normal marriage invites scorn and ridicule?

My friends, be not afraid. I am convinced that the American people are with us. They share our values. It's our politically correct elites who are confused. But these events must cause us to realize what is at stake in political debate today. If we don't fight back, the result is predictable. We must inform friends and family members who aren't paying attention or don't make the connection between elections and the impact on their values.

ACTION ITEM: Please click here to politely, but firmly, share your thoughts with King & Spalding about their refusal to defend normal marriage. You can also call their Atlanta office at 404-572-4600.

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Tags: Attorney General, Eric Holder, Justice Department, Defense of Marriage Act, DOMA, Speaker John Boehner, King and Spalding, Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Families, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!