President Barack Obama, who has for years promised voters he opposes gay marriage, will support legislation that forces the federal government to recognize gay marriage. The bill effectively redefines marriage.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney says Obama opposes the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which protected states from being forced to recognize gay marriage. The bill had bipartisan support and was signed into law by President Clinton — a Democrat.

The new legislation, deceptively called the “Respect for Marriage Act”, would force the federal government to recognize gay marriage and provide benefits to the same-sex spouses of gay employees.

The bill is sponsored by prominent liberal Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). Feinstein supports forcing the government — and by extension taxpayers — to recognize a redefinition of marriage.

Forty-one states currently ban gay marriage. A majority of Americans oppose gay marriage. Even blue states like California have banned the redefinition when voters were allowed to decide. And judges in Iowa who forced gay marriage on the state were recently thrown from office by livid voters.

But Washington liberals think taxpayers should be forced to recognize gay marriage.

What a sad state of affairs.

Also interesting is how Barack Obama supports forcing the federal government to recognize gay marriage. Obama in 2008 promised voters that he wouldn’t redefine marriage. He has repeated that promise since then…until now. Joe Biden, his vice president, also claimed to oppose gay marriage. Has his position changed suddenly, too?