Progress On Marriage

“After careful consideration, including a review of my recommendation, the President has concluded that given a number of factors, including a documented history of discrimination, classifications based on sexual orientation should be subject to a more heightened standard of scrutiny.

The President has also concluded that Section 3 of DOMA, as applied to legally married same-sex couples, fails to meet that standard and is therefore unconstitutional. Given that conclusion, the President has instructed the Department not to defend the statute in such cases. I fully concur with the President’s determination.”

With these words our nation’s Attorney General, Eric Holder announced that President Obama and his Justice Department had come to the conclusion that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act does not meet constitutional requirement and this government will not defend it in court.

Section 3 is the section that defines the terms “marriage” and “spouse” and which says that legal marriage is only possible between opposite sexes.

This is not insignificant reversal of course for the administration. Late last year the President admitted that he was struggling with the issue of Gay Marriage and he understood the argument in favor of it but he also understood that the nation may need more time. I find it hard to believe that someone as sophisticated in his thinking as Barack Obama is actually struggling with gay marriage. There is no doubt however that he is struggling with the politics and the political logistics for doing the right thing. I don’t have any insider information so that is just so minor pop psychology on my part.

Meanwhile a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner had this to say.

“While Americans want Washington to focus on creating jobs and cutting spending, the President will have to explain why he thinks now is the appropriate time to stir up a controversial issue that sharply divides the nation."

The Speaker’s mouthpiece did not say when he thought an appropriate time would be to grant full rights to all of this nation’s citizens. Please note that the GOP leadership has yet to introduce one piece of legislation that will create jobs so for him to throw that phony issue at the President is disingenuous at best and yet it is typical of the Republican Leadership for the last 26 months.

Should I be hopeful that one day soon my guy will be able to make and honest man of me? We have spent the last 28 years waiting together; I suppose we can wait a tad longer. But, not too much longer, my slow burn is beginning to gather some heat.

My Skills Have Failed Me

I like to think that I speak politician pretty well and that I have mad skills at deciphering punditry.

For example;

When Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell claims to understand what the American people want; I know that what he really means is this is what his pollsters have told him to say or what the lobbyist cohorts of his wife want him to say.

When House Speaker John Boehner talks about being serious in dealing with the federal deficit; I know that he only cares about it when there is a Democrat in the White House, because his record shows no such seriousness anytime during his career.

When Associate Supreme Justice Clarence Thomas speaks during oral arguments I know that…..Now wait! he has not spoken in 5 terms. Well then, I know that his mind is made up and nothing anyone says is going to change his mind.

When Donald Trump speaks about how awful China is; I know that he has been unable to break into the Chinese market or he has not been able to obtain a significant amount of Chinese investors.

But, I need some help deciphering the below statement. I really cannot figure out what her point is.

“And nobody yet has, nobody yet has explained to the American public what they know, and surely they know more than the rest of us know who it is who will be taking the place of Mubarak and no, not, not real enthused about what it is that that’s being done on a national level and from DC in regards to understanding all the situation there in Egypt. And, in these areas that are so volatile right now, because obviously it’s not just Egypt but the other countries too where we are seeing uprisings, we know that now more than ever, we need strength and sound mind there in the White House. We need to know what it is that America stands for so we know who it is that America will stand with. And, we do not have all that information yet.”

Sarah Palin

Still Waiting For Leadership

If anyone sees Congressman Charlie Dent will you please ask him when he is going to introduce a piece of legislation that will create jobs. He told us in the last election that job creation was his priority.

When will Charlie Dent lead?

Leading Republicans Criticize The President

I am not one who subscribes to the belief that a President cannot be criticized during a time crisis but Republicans do or they believed it during the Bush administration. It appears they do not believe it when there is a Democrat in the White House or at least some of their superstars don’t. To be fair most of the congressional leadership has stood with the President as our nation finds the best way to respond, assist, and manage the current turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East.

Sarah Palin has used her vast knowledge of world affairs, her extensive experience on the global stage and her years of studying the history of the region to form her well thought out criticism of the President’s handling of the events. Well, actually all she knows is that if the President says something she is supposed to criticize him. She does this in deep and thought provoking Tweets and Facebook postings and in responses to the hard hitting questions from her fellow employees of Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes. I think Sister Sarah is about to hit the wall with the American people. She looked really bad in the days and weeks after the Tucson shootings and made herself look uniformed with her response to what is happening in Egypt. Pity.

TV superstar Glenn Beck has completely gone off the rails. He now admits that President Obama may be a Christian albeit an odd version of a Christian (this from a man who converted to the Mormon version of Christianity as an adult). Beck also claims that the President is an Islamist sympathizer and is working with both President Bush’s and others on the left to form a Caliphate that will allow Islam world domination. How much do you think Liberals like me have in common with the radical Islamsts let alone George W. Bush? Mr. Beck’s eccentric behavior as of late is a direct result of the fact that fewer and fewer people are buying into his way of thinking, his ratings are dropping and he is clearly desperate for attention. I fully expect Glenn Beck to use the ancient art of Self Immolation as a last gasp attempt to get/keep everyone’s attention.

Failed TV star but radio superstar Rush Limbaugh or as I like to call him The Drug Addicted, Oft Married Radio Top Talker is another one of the GOP leaders willing to ignore the fact that he questioned the patriotism of any Democrat or Liberal who criticized George Bush in Iraq or Afghanistan. I truly believe that Rush just says stuff to keep his ratings up. Above all else Rush Limbaugh is an entertainer. Though even Rush has gone a bit to the extreme lately but he’s Rush so whatever.

Sean Hannity is an even lighter weight than Sarah Palin, she at least entered the arena and ran for office and tried her hand at public service. Sean has done nothing but spout predictable opinions. Whenever I watch or listen to Sean Hannity I know exactly what he is going to say before he even says it.

Newt Gingrich is a very smart man and his opinions were often very well thought out and based on the history and or facts as he understood them. Note, I said were. Since Barack Obama was elected President he has become increasingly shrill and he seems to be in an intellectual footrace with Anne Coulter to say the most ridiculous and outrageous thing in order to get higher speakers fees and sell more books. Seeing this new Newt actually makes me a little sad, I mean he was Speaker of the House. Maybe a personal life led in hypocrisy has had an impact on his ability to think clearly.

Michelle Bachman………. I just can’t go there, sorry.

If Hillary Clinton, Bill Richardson or Joe Biden were President I wonder if these leaders of the intellectual wing of the Republican Party would be as critical.