Coakley Redeemed With DOMA Ruling

Massachusetts attorney general Martha Coakley appears poised for political rehabilitation after losing the U.S. Senate race to Scott Brown this winter. Her comeback includes leading the state's charge against the Defense of Marriage Act.

According to The Daily Beast, the decision against DOMA last week in a federal case brought by Coakley could help her move from the dark days when state and national Democrats blamed her for the loss of the Senate seat held by the late Edward M. Kennedy. The surprise Republican win ended the Democrats' filibuster-proof majority and put a sour note on the Obama agenda.

"But six months later, Coakley, who stayed with her job as Massachusetts' attorney general, is emerging from her time in the political wilderness -- and scoring some major progressive victories," reports The Daily Beast. "Liberals frustrated with Obama's administration may find some inspiration in the woman who broke their hearts this January."

Regarding the DOMA case, Coakley told reporter Samuel Jacobs that she brought the lawsuit because married same-sex couples in Massachusetts were forced to live by two sets of rules, one from their state and one from the federal government.

"We looked closer at what DOMA purported to do," she said, "and determined that its only purpose was a discriminatory one."

The Obama administration is expected to appeal the ruling, one of two from U.S. district judge Joseph L. Tauro that struck down Section 3 of DOMA. Some legal experts believe the ruling could be overturned.

Coakley is running for reelection this fall, with no Republican opponent.