Newspapers Hail IRS Recognition of 'Gay Marriage' Without a Liberal Label

The nation’s biggest liberal newspapers demonstrated how there is nothing the Obama administration can do that can be described as “liberal.” The Treasury Department and the IRS announced on Thursday it would recognize all gay marriages under the tax code, regardless of whether the state of residence recognizes gay marriage.

The New York Times promoted it on the front page: “Gay Marriages Get Recognition from the IRS.” Their story and those in USA Today, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times never used the word “liberal” to describe the decision or the activists delighted by it. There were zero conservative critics in print, as liberals were celebrated, even in photos. Annie Lowrey reported:

Gay and civil rights groups praised the ruling. “Committed and loving gay and lesbian married couples will now be treated equally under our nation’s federal tax laws, regardless of what state they call home,” said Chad Griffin, the president of the Human Rights Campaign.

On A-12 they had a large 6 x 10 picture of rainbow flags, U.S. flags and a Human Rights Campaign sign saying “ALL LOVE IS EQUAL / JOIN US / WWW.HRC.ORG.” Underneath that was photo of Chad Griffin speaking outside the Supreme Court from June.

(At least the other liberal Obama decision of the day – going limp on any prosecution within states legalizing marijuana – the Times located a dissenter: former Congressman Patrick Kennedy!)

The Washington Post report on the pro-gay IRS by Josh Hicks and Ruth Tam featured the Treasury Secretary and four liberals, but in paragraph 16 they allowed Bryan Fischer to concede defeat:

Same-sex marriage opponent Bryan Fischer, director of the issues analysis for the American Family Association, predicted the same outcome, adding that the possibility concerns him. “There will be enormous federal pressure now on states to conform to the IRS,” he said.

“The Supreme Court decision placed an [improvised explosive device] under every state marriage amendment in the land,” he said. “I predict we will very quickly see legal action in the 37 states that do not give legal recognition to same-sex marriage to force them to conform to federal policy on their tax forms, and you will get activist federal judges that will comply.”

The Los Angeles Times offered no critics on its Politics Now blog, just quoting the Treasury Secretary and gay lobbyist Evan Wolfson. The USA Today story featured Jack Lew and Chad Griffin.