Obama administration appeals gay marriage ruling
Quote:
The Obama administration filed a notice of appeal with the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in support of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, that barred gay marriages, even though Obama had previously opposed the law.
Although Obama opposes the law, a Justice Department spokeswoman said that the administration was defending the statute because it was obligated to defend federal laws when challenged in court.
|
Bold mine.
From here
Can someone clarify this for me?
Are they really "obligated" to appeal this. I understand that they normally do, but they aren't required to. On top of that it makes no sense when this administration has openly supported the repeal of it. What gives?