Obama Won't Defend DOMA

Word just came down from the White House that President Obama's administration will,, according to KRON 4 Morning News, "no longer defend a constitutional clause that bans the recognition of same-sex marriage." Which is to say, Obama will not defend DOMA. We'll update as soon as we hear more.

UPDATE: President Barack Obama declared the Defense of Marriage act unconstitutional - which, of course, it is - with his administration making this official statement:

"The President believes that DOMA is unconstitutional. They are no longer going to be defending the cases in the 1st and 2nd circuits," a person briefed on the decision said.

As Salon reports, Attorney General Eric Holder confirmed the new in a statement to the press:

After careful consideration, including a review of my recommendation, the President has concluded that given a number of factors, including a documented history of discrimination, classifications based on sexual orientation should be subject to a more heightened standard of scrutiny. The President has also concluded that Section 3 of DOMA, as applied to legally married same-sex couples, fails to meet that standard and is therefore unconstitutional. Given that conclusion, the President has instructed the Department not to defend the statute in such cases. I fully concur with the President’s determination.

Read an exhaustive report about this morning's stunning news at National Journal.