Progress: Obama Makes Amicus Brief Deadline On Gay Marriage Case

President supports SCOTUS overturn of California’s gay marriage ban

Whew! With very little time to spare before the Thursday night deadline, President Barack Obama filed a “friend-of-the-court, ” amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to overturn California’s ban on gay marriage. The Obama Administration unequivocally called on the justices to strike down the voter-approved ban. But the administration does not make the argument with the same rhetoric that Obama expressed in his inaugural address, nor does it call the ban outright unconstitutional. Obama, a former constitutional law professor, okayed the legal arguments last week after a lengthy meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder and Solicitor General Donald Verrilli. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on California’s Proposition 8 ballot measure in late March. If the justices overturn the ban, it will be the first time the Supreme Court has given gay Americans special protections. (Associated Press)

[SUBSCRIBE TO LOOP 21 RSS FEED]