USA Today Writes Unopposed Press Release for Liberal Virginia Attorney General's Gay-Marriage Move

January 25th, 2014 11:19 AM

One way that liberal journalists promote a “rapid string of victories for the gay marriage movement” is by utterly shutting out any voice that dares speak in opposition to it. In Friday’s USA Today, reporter Richard Wolf (not MSNBC’s Richard Wolffe) wrote an entire story on how new Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring refuses to defend a gay marriage “ban,” and Wolf refused to quote any opponents.

“In a stunning reversal for a Southern state, newly elected Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, said Thursday that the ban is unconstitutional and the state will instead side with two same-sex couples challenging it,” he wrote. By contrast, Friday’s Washington Post noted “Herring’s move outrages foes of same-sex marriage.” Who cares about outraged Republicans? Not USA Today.

Wolf continued:

The reversal is but the latest in a rapid string of victories for the gay marriage movement. It follows federal court rulings striking down same-sex marriage bans in Utah and Oklahoma. Last June, the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in California and struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

Seventeen states and the District of Columbia now recognize same-sex marriage. None of them are in the Deep South, which makes Herring's move in Virginia potentially significant.

"I believe the freedom to marry is a fundamental right, and I intend to ensure that Virginia is on the right side of history and on the right side of the law," Herring said. "As attorney general, I cannot and will not defend a law that violates Virginians' constitutional rights...."

"Too many times in our history, our citizens have had to lead the way on civil rights while our leaders stood against them. This will not be another instance," he said.

At least Wolf noted that this new official is not exactly “Landslide Herring.” He only won after a recount process: “The reversal represents stark proof that every vote is important. Herring won the attorney general's race in November by a scant 165 votes out of more than 2 million cast. His Republican opponent, Mark Obenshain, opposed same-sex marriage rights.”

But Obenshain didn’t get a quote recount in USA Today. Conservatives have no "quoting rights."