In a few sentences, Geffen reintroduced the tiresome controversies of the Clinton presidency. Rich's ex-wife then made a big donation to Clinton's library.

He didn't mention Monica Lewinsky, but he cited Clinton's disgraceful pardon of Marc Rich, a financier who fled America rather than face criminal fraud charges. He blasted hubby Bubba, too, saying, 'I don't think anybody believes that in the last six years, all of a sudden Bill Clinton has become a different person.' Geffen called Clinton 'incredibly polarizing' and told columnist Maureen Dowd he didn't think Clinton could win the general election. He stuck a sharp stick in her eye in the pages of the liberal bible, The New York Times. The dustup began when former Clinton bankroller David Geffen embraced Obama and threw a Hollywood fund-raiser that pulled in $1.3 million.

Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff in the landmark ruling legalizing same-sex marriage and now running as a Democrat for the Ohio House, said after the court’s ruling on abortion, “When we lose one right that we have relied on and enjoyed, other rights are at risk.That dynamic, if it becomes a pattern, could boost his chances of taking the Democratic nomination from her. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who said over the weekend that the Supreme Court’s decision protecting marriage equality was “clearly wrong” and state legislatures should visit the issue.īut Schumer did not commit to holding a vote on the bill. “The MAGA radicals that are taking over the Republican Party have made it abundantly clear they are not satisfied with repealing Roe,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., referring to Trump’s backers. While Alito insisted in the majority opinion that “this decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right,” others have taken notice. In a concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas went further, saying other rulings similar to Roe, including those around same-sex marriage and the right for couples to use contraception, should be reconsidered. Wade, Justice Samuel Alito argued for a more narrow interpretation of the rights guaranteed to Americans, noting that the right to an abortion was not spelled out in the Constitution. Hodges, which established the rights of same-sex couples to marry nationwide, a landmark case for gay rights.īut last month, writing for the majority in overturning Roe v. The 1996 law, the Defense of Marriage Act, had basically been sidelined by Obama-era court rulings, including Obergefell v. It would also provide legal protections for interracial marriages by prohibiting any state from denying out-of-state marriage licenses and benefits on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity or national origin. The Respect for Marriage Act would repeal a law from the Clinton era that defines marriage as a heterogeneous relationship between a man and a woman.

“I don’t see anything behind this right now other than, you know, election year politics,” said the GOP whip, Sen. I don’t think the Supreme Court is going to overturn any of that stuff.”įor Republicans in Congress the Trump-era confirmation of conservative justices to the Supreme Court fulfilled a long-term GOP goal of revisiting many social, environmental and regulatory issues the party has been unable to tackle on its own by passing bills that could be signed into law.īut in a notable silence, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell declined to express his view on the bill, leaving an open question over how strongly his party would fight it, if it even comes up for a vote in the upper chamber. “I’m probably not inclined to support it,” said Sen. Dozens of Republicans joined Democrats in voting for passage. Wary of political fallout, GOP leaders did not direct their lawmakers to hold the party line against the bill, aides said. “Imagine telling the next generation of Americans, my generation, we no longer have the right to marry,” he said. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y., who said he was among the openly gay members of the House. It also reflected the legislative branch pushing back against an aggressive court that has sparked fears it may revisit apparently settled U.S. Tuesday’s election-year roll call, 267-157, was partly political strategy, forcing all House members, Republicans and Democrats, to go on the record with their views. Instead leading Republicans portrayed the bill as unnecessary amid other issues facing the nation. In a robust but lopsided debate, Democrats argued intensely in favor of enshrining marriage equality in federal law, while Republicans steered clear of openly rejecting gay marriage. Wade abortion access could jeopardize other rights criticized by many conservative Americans. House overwhelmingly approved legislation Tuesday to protect same-sex and interracial marriages amid concerns that the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v.

Clinton camp panic mode