Doma Case News Today

All. thats not what the supreme court said even though that may be how we read it. what they did all week long from the beginning to the end of the week so far is to gut the power of the federal government. so in this case the federal government using its power to stand in the way of equality in the case of doma, but the way that they strike it down is basically to send this right back to the state. now at the moment the states been doing better, right? 12 states with marriage equality doing bet...

And we were -- the damage of being prohibited, the language of marriage and the rights of marriage, was so overwhelming, and after prop 8 passed, it just kind of welled up inside of us, we never talked about it to each other. we knew we wanted to get married but assumed we would never have the right. so after prop 8, it really turned our anger into action and we were able to take that forward and we are happy and proud and lucky to be a part of this case. >> jeff, i have to ask a clarifying ques...

She was the personal lawyer hired by edie windsor having financial planning trouble trying to figure out this tax bill she never expected. and roberta caplin took that case. she is a high-power lawyer but not one of these guys who argue these cases, took it all the way for them as their personal lawyer. the famous adversaries in bush v. gore on the opposite side identified with partisan politics on the left and right coming together and having both the same personal commitment and the incredibly...

Flustered. i dont normally get president obama talking on an iphone -- >> you got bogarted on your own show by the president through somebodys iphone on speakerphone. >> i kind of like it. my producer was like can you ask the president if he has anything to say on msnbc and i thought ill just wait on that one. >> sir, can i get a comment on your climate change speech? >> just a quick question. i let it go. but that was an amazing moment. these women obviously -- they will go down in history, as ...

Welcome back, everybody. the historic morning we have been following for you here on msnbc from the u.s. supreme court. live pictures right there, where weve received these two landmark decisions today on doma and prop 8. doma deemed unconstitutional. prop 8 is dead. joining me now, the two other plaintiffs in the prop 8 case, paul katama and jeff zarillo, rachel maddow agreed to stick around with me. we have watched you with president obama calling from air force one on an iphone. that doesnt h...

Coming out in support of it. how do you expect that number to grow now on the heels of what we have seen from the supreme court, especially on the republican side? >> well, the public has clearly been where we need to be. they support marriage equality. 58% of the country. as the senator said, 93 million people live in states where they can be legally married now, thanks to this decision. so i think youre going to see the leaders coming along and following where the public is at. were really ove...

>> we knew from the very beginning that standing could be an issue. and that it could be a way to win the case. so we werent surprised by this ruling. and so were very happy with how it turned out. >> in comparison to what we how turned out. >> in comparison to what we saw from doma, how do these two compliment, these rulings, prop 8 and doma, compliment one another? >> well, the doma case set the framework for future cases to strike down marriage equality restrictions in this country, so i thin...

>> she is not somebody out her whole life looking for a case. she lived privately, closeted almost her entire life. and this struggle came upon her because of a private matter that she never intended to turn into a public fight. she made it into a public fight because she had to. but this is not something she sought out. and i think that mirrors this overall case within this overall issue within the gay rights struggle. >> thats right. >> the struggle to get married is not the most revolutionary...

Proposition 8 case as opposed to defense of marriage case, the doma case, what she will do herself, i think shes a very wise woman and i think shes well aware that abortion 40 years ago, marriage equality in 2013 are really two different issues and i think -- i dont think shes exercising that theres a strategy or signaling to people here is what i think about roe against wade and here is what i will think about the proposition 8 case in california, but i think it would be surprising if the court...

Politics in it that she doesnt believe roe versus wade was the best case to get us to the point of abortion rights in all 50 states, but when she says she wishes there was a more limited ruling in roe versus wade, does that indicate to us, and the fact shes saying it now and saying it kind of loudly now, even though she has said it in the past, she knows were all going to immediately say what does this tell us about how shes going to rule on the marriage equality cases, and doesnt this indicate ...