The Slatest

Not to be undone by the 100-odd Republicans who have signed an amicus brief backing gay marriage, President Obama is getting in on the Supreme Court lobbying action. NBC News with the scoop:

Administration officials say the Justice Department will urge the U.S. Supreme Court to allow same-sex marriage to resume in California, wading into the protracted legal battle over Proposition 8 and giving gay-rights advocates a new court ally.

After first suggesting it would not get involved, the Obama administration will file a friend-of-the-court brief late today in support of the two gay couples who launched the fight over the issue four years ago, the officials said. Today is the last day for filing briefs in support of the couples' position.

Obama, you'll probably remember, made history last spring when he became the first president to offer his support for letting gays and lesbians wed, saying then that "same-sex couples should be able to get married." Still, he added that it was not a decision that should be made by the federal government, suggesting the possibility that the White House might sit on the sidelines of the debate that has now made its way to the Supreme Court, which will hear arguments on the matter next month.