Politics

NOM: Herman Cain all talk on gay marriage

Alec Jacobs Contributor
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Herman Cain may be opposed to gay marriage, but apparently that doesn’t mean he’s earned the respect of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), On Top magazine reports.

Cain, the businessman running for the Republican presidential nomination, has called for an investigation into President Obama’s decision to stop defending the federal government’s ban on gay marriage. (Christine O’Donnell storms out of Piers Morgan interview over ‘rude’ treatment)

Last week, Cain told reporters on a conference call that the Obama administration’s decision to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in court was an impeachable offense.

“[Impeachment] would be a great thing to do. But because the Senate is controlled by Democrats, we would never be able to get the Senate first to take up that action because they simply don’t care what the American public thinks,” Cain said. “They would protect him and they wouldn’t even bring it up.”

“Ordering the Department of Justice to not enforce the Defense of Marriage Act — that’s an impeachable offense right there. The president is supposed to uphold the laws of this nation … and to tell the Department of Justice not to uphold the Defense of Marriage Act is a breach of this oath,” Cain said on the call.

But Cain’s remarks didn’t curry any favor with NOM, the nation’s most prominent anti-gay marriage organization. The group says Cain needs to “pledge to actions, not just words on marriage.”

The board chair of NOM, Maggie Gallagher, wrote: “We need someone who does not just talk the talk, but walks the walk on marriage. That’s why we asked all the GOP candidates to sign NOM’s … pledge. Bachmann, Santorum, and Romney have. Why hasn’t Herman Cain?”

On Top magazine reports that the pledge has five points: Support a federal consitutional amendment banning gay marriage, defending DOMA in court, appointing judges who will “respect the original meaning of the Constitution,” appoint a commission to investigate the “harassment of traditional marriage supporters,” and support the inclusion of a ballot question on gay marriage for Washington, D.C. voters.