House Majority Leader Eric Cantor 'Taken Aback' By Obama Not Defending DOMA

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — House Majority Leader Eric Cantor says he was "taken aback" by President Barack Obama ordering his administration to stop defending the constitutionality of a federal law that bans recognition of gay marriage.

The Virginia Republican said Thursday that he'd never been around when a president decided not to defend a law on the books. He says the U.S. Congress is mulling its options on the 15-year-old Defense of Marriage Act.

Cantor made his comments in response to a question following a speech at Harvard University.

Cantor also says the House budget will include proposals on how to curb spending on programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Hundreds of students gathered outside to protest Cantor's visit, faulting Republicans for deep cuts to programs like global health initiatives and AmeriCorps.

Comments

[Pizzleoo]

07:16 AM on 04/22/2011

I'm taken aback every time Obama opens his mouth.

Cantor rocks! I wish he'd run for President. What a contrast! An honest young, hip fiscal hawk with integrity replacing the biggest disgrace in national history.

On an unrelated note: why doesn't anyone talk about Arianna Huffington's $0 tax returns any more? Did she decide the bad publicity wasn't worth it and start paying taxes again?

[Littlewords]

11:30 AM on 02/27/2011

Headline:
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor 'Taken Aback' By Obama Not Defending DOMA

...wow, I just never saw that one coming. So surprising, thanks for sharing HP.

[CenaW]

10:16 AM on 02/27/2011

Oh that is funny especially when Good ole' Geo. W. made all his "signing statements,"
about how he would sign the legislation, but had no intention of enforcing the laws.

[LV711]

09:18 AM on 02/27/2011

This fool, Cantor, doesn't even understand what the law means and neither does anyone else, including the House "leader".

Start creating jobs, Cantor and Boehner, like you have promised the "American people." Try solving some problems instead of talking about them all the time. Or don't you know how to do that? So far, you've proven you're incapable of that as well.

[JeremiahA]

09:16 AM on 02/27/2011

Eric Cantor was taken aback, plus the rest of the nation.

[Ioan Lightoller]

05:41 PM on 02/28/2011

Only the haters like yourself. The rest of us find it eminently sensible.

[JeremiahA]

11:04 AM on 03/01/2011

"Only the haters like yourself."

Well, truth sounds like hate to those who hate the truth.

[Jason N]

01:19 PM on 03/01/2011

Apparently you all weren't listening during the campaign when he promised to end DOMA... Plus, why aren't you harping on divorce, I thought that was a bigger threat to marriage (in your words).

[bradenton]

09:08 AM on 02/27/2011

Cantor needs to come clean. What is his obsession with anything Gay?

[gumbo1049]

08:25 AM on 02/27/2011

What is this doing standing in front of the JFK School of Government wall at that school?
Eric YOUR NO JFK !!
You disgraced the podium.

[1differentdrummer]

07:14 AM on 02/27/2011

So Cantor is a top Republican? They don't have much going for them. Is that the best they can do?

[SCboy]

06:03 AM on 02/27/2011

Oh, give it a break, Cantor. Presidents (and Governors, for that matter) have made decisions about which laws to enforce for over two-hundred years. Your schtick is growing tiresome.

I'm still waiting for one of you guys to answer the question, "How does same sex marriage threaten your marriage in any way"?

[JacklynD]

12:41 AM on 02/27/2011

Great. Maybe the myopic GOP will concentrate of this instead of union busting, the budget, jobs, international affairs and the environment.

[Ioan Lightoller]

05:43 PM on 02/28/2011

I hope they do. Then sensible people will vote them out in 2012.

[soonerliberal]

11:31 PM on 02/26/2011

DOMA...

Now here's an example of what I say quite often on this site. TEAPUBLICANS LOVE BIG GOVERNMENT, AS LONG AS THEY CONTROL IT.
Again, I know..as I live in Oklahoma (the REAL most conservative state in the Union - the ONLY state where Obama won ZERO counties)

If they were really concerned about marriage, you would see laws that address the over 50% divorce rate or things like, a tax deduction for marriage counseling.

These guys are flat out hypocrits...

I think I send YET another e-mail to my congressional joke of a delegation (Coburn, Inhoffe and Cole) Coburn is the only one that ever responds.

[jkb5371]

08:58 AM on 02/27/2011

LOL...I feel your pain...I'm a conservative Republican living in Massachusetts...Scott Brown is my only elected official to respond to me.
Maybe we could house swap? Although I'm looking out my window and see 2-1/2' of snow on the ground with another 6" on it's way.

[Ioan Lightoller]

05:44 PM on 02/28/2011

So sad that you have to witness marriage equality. My heart bleeds for you--NOT!

[JeremiahA]

09:35 AM on 02/27/2011

"If they were really concerned about marriage, you would see laws that address the over 50% divorce rate or things like, a tax deduction for marriage counseling­."

I seriously think this is one of the best comments in a long time and such laws should be implemented as soon as possible.

[scottymac11]

07:36 PM on 02/26/2011

These gunsels have been in office for a good while now and all they talk about are layoffs paycuts and intolerence pandering. Where are the Jobs ? Not up in Wisconsin where your guy yaks it up with billionaires bragging about putting even more people out of work.

[Pennstategirl]

07:16 PM on 02/26/2011

While you're "taken back" contemplate where the jobs are that you are supposed to be working on?

Get out of the wars and fix the dang economy. Nevermind the DOMA.

[halfpricefaustian]

07:09 PM on 02/26/2011

Cantor was around when a president decided to authorize unwarranted wiretaps and violate the Geneva convention's prohibition of torturing prisoners. Maybe he was playing golf when that happened.

[Hardyman1966]

06:53 PM on 02/26/2011

"Taken aback"?  What sort of talk is that?!?!  It sounds like Blanche Devereaux from "The Golden Girls" looking for a fainting couch before she's overcome with the vapors.

There's NOTHING to defend when the majority of the people out there who take it for granted don't take it seriously in the first place and keep doing it over and over until they FINALLY get it right.