Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Gay marriage key distinction in attorney general debate
Gay marriage key distinction in attorney general debate
Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017 by Matthew Barakat, Associated Press
Attorney General Mark Herring's refusal to defend Virginia's ban on gay marriage was his signature act during his four-year term. Now it's the key point of contention in his re-election campaign against Republican challenger John Adams.
At a debate Friday in Leesburg, Adams said it was dereliction of duty when Herring switched the state's legal position in a lawsuit challenging the ban once he took office in 2014. A federal judge who struck down Virginia's ban cited Herring's switch as a compelling factor in her analysis.
"That is an unbelievable position for a lawyer to take," Adams said. "He got on the other side and sued his own client." ... Adams attributed Herring's decision to a political calculation, noting that Herring actually voted for the gay marriage ban a few years earlier when he was a state senator. ... Herring, who received national attention when he announced his decision to oppose the gay-marriage ban in court, said his position was ultimately vindicated by the U.S. Supreme Court, which struck down gay-marriage bans as unconstitutional.
....
Herring, a former state senator from Loudoun County, is seeking a second term as attorney general. Adams, a former federal prosecutor and law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is making his first run for public office. ... Friday's debate was sponsored by the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce.
Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017 by Matthew Barakat, Associated Press
Attorney General Mark Herring's refusal to defend Virginia's ban on gay marriage was his signature act during his four-year term. Now it's the key point of contention in his re-election campaign against Republican challenger John Adams.
At a debate Friday in Leesburg, Adams said it was dereliction of duty when Herring switched the state's legal position in a lawsuit challenging the ban once he took office in 2014. A federal judge who struck down Virginia's ban cited Herring's switch as a compelling factor in her analysis.
"That is an unbelievable position for a lawyer to take," Adams said. "He got on the other side and sued his own client." ... Adams attributed Herring's decision to a political calculation, noting that Herring actually voted for the gay marriage ban a few years earlier when he was a state senator. ... Herring, who received national attention when he announced his decision to oppose the gay-marriage ban in court, said his position was ultimately vindicated by the U.S. Supreme Court, which struck down gay-marriage bans as unconstitutional.
....
Herring, a former state senator from Loudoun County, is seeking a second term as attorney general. Adams, a former federal prosecutor and law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, is making his first run for public office. ... Friday's debate was sponsored by the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce.