we have two guests ,maggie gallagher and brian moulton.nificant is the decision that the president will not to defend the marriage act? guest: we thought we would get someone in the courtroom trying to win these cases. president obama has declined to defend the law, in part because he is losing these lower court cases, because he is not bringing the best evidence into court. we have been strategizing behind the scenes on how to get someone into court that can intervene. president obama made our job a lot easier. host: the national a court -- organization for marriage is against gay marriage. it was not a suspect -- a setback when the obama administration said it will not keep defending? guest: if they are unable to repeal the defense of marriage act by going to congress, it is unilaterally declared that these laws are not defensible. we were appalled by that. on the other hand, it was good news for us, because we recognize the obama administration is not seriously trying to win these cases. host: here is one comment. brian moulton, how sig

host: let's go to brian moulton and as human rights campaign. guest: i think the constitution will prevail and, related to your comments and in response to something maggie just said, it is not to put people civil- rights to a popular referendum. we are sort of reducing this idea is to simply what should people think marriage should mean and they should be able to vote on that. i think we're also talking about, how does the state treat gays and lesbians entered would be able to put that to a popular vote, i think you made a very good point that there have been other civil rights issues of historically and if we put them to a vote, we would not be anywhere that we are on any of them. guest: this is the oddest message point that i have ever heard that is okay for politicians to vote on marriage, but not the general people. it is one thing to say that it should not be voted on by legislatures at all, and another to say that it is wrong for people to vote on this issue. i would also said the majority of courts as well as the majority of people when

we have twguests ,maggie gallagher and brian moulton. how significant is the decision that the president will not to defend the marriage act? guest: we thought we wouldet someone in the courtroom trying to win these cases. president obama has declined to dend the law, in part because he is losing these lower court cases, because he is not bringing the best evidence into court. we have been strategizing behind the scenes on how to get someone into court that can intervene. president obama made our job a lot easier. host: the national a court -- organization for marriage is against gay marriage. it was not a suspect -- a setback when the obama administration said it will not keep defending? guest: if they are uble to repeal the defense of marriage act by going to congress, it is unilaterally declared that these laws are not defensible. we were appalled by that. on the other hand, it was good news for us, because we recognize the obama administration is not seriously trying to win these cases. host: here is one comment. bria moulton, how si

maggie gallagher from the national organization for marriage and brian moulton discuss the law known as the defense of marriage act. pat dalton is the chief operating officer of the government accountability office and discusses the gao report on overlapping federal reports. overlapping federal reports.