Massachusetts sues U.S. over gay marriage rights
 

From Yahoo News:

Massachusetts sues U.S. over gay marriage rights


By Jason Szep – Wed Jul 8, 2009

BOSTON (Reuters) – Massachusetts sued the U.S. government on Wednesday to seek federal marriage benefits for about 16,000 gay and lesbian couples who have wed since the state became the nation's first to legalize same-sex marriage.



read the article here -->http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090708/..._massachusetts



Rick

Let's suppose that Obama does support gay rights
 

But that to do so publicly would cost him too much political capital. Now if some powerful group, like a state, were to attack DOMA, progress with public opinion or in the courts could be made to happen without hurting him. And that would help us.

When a politician who is running for office wants the public to hear something very damaging to his opponent, but doesn't want to give the impression that he is going negative, he may use an Attack Dog, that can't be traced back to him.

Just a thought.

Namaste', Bruce Chris

And to continue that thought... A young heterosexual Iraqi War Vet in the House of Representatives has just introduced legislation in the House to repeal DADT with 150+ co-authors. Now, did the administration approach him and ask him to get the ball rolling so that the President could sign a bill that he says he supports but doesn't have to use his own political capital to initiate it? I guess we'll never know ... but if I wanted to get legislation through but didn't want to make it a presidential priority and draw all the lightening to myself ... I think I might do JUST that.

Who better to counter the arguments that it will interfere with military effectiveness than someone who was recently in an active duty combat unit? What better way for a young first term Representative to gain influence in the party than to take on a special mission from the head of his party (and the Commander in chief) ?

I'm just sayin that there are multiple ways to skin a cat ... and that's one of them.

Encouraging conspiracy and deception?

ge

No, Encouraging others to run interference for you. When a football team goes into a huddle and the quarterback whispers instructions to each of the players, is that conspiricay? is it deciept? No. Its just a way to get the ball down the field and into the end zone. A quarterback who felt he always had to be the one to run the ball down the field wouldn't be a very good quarterback.

I know that it is silly to use a football metaphor on a site full of gay guys but the Lesbians will know what I'm talking about. ;)

A sport isn't based on intellectual integrity and transparency like politics are supposed to be.

Will we as a group encourage others to "sin" or compromise character as long as we get what we want?

Read about this on Towleroad yesterday. Also saw Rep Patrick Murphy's interview with Rachel Maddow (Murphy is a Dem from PA...a very conservative state).

http://www.towleroad.com/2009/07/mur...it-happen.html

It's unusual, not only because of the person involved (young straight vet), but also because junior members usually wait until they've been around a while to introduce legislation.

I say all the more power to him. For all we know his best buddy is gay. After all, coming out changes things, makes it real, rather than political.

Awe:
 

Just like the Democratic Party is a conspiracy to pass liberal legislation, and General Motors is a conspiracy to build automobiles, or, well, it USED to be..........

The religious right doesn't call it a conspiracy, to them it's more like a holy war.

And they insist that being the way we were born is a choice, that it is evil, that we try to recruit children, and that we have an agenda for making them live just like us, well, clearly, as a practicioner of deception, I am totally out-classed, here.

Also clearly, we're not nearly as good at it as they are.

Or as Bob Dole pointed out, "Politics is the art of the possible"

BC

Oh PULEEZE. Who told you that politics are supposed to be based on intellectual integrity and transparency? When have politics EVER been based on those things? Politics is the exercise of power to accomplish your goals in the company of other people who are also exercising power to accomplish THEIR goals. Politics are and always have been a rough and tumble business. They may not require subterfuge but they do require careful planning, strategy, and the ability to look several moves ahead.

If the Obama administration has in fact worked behind the scenes to encourage other players to promote agendas that it wishes to see moved forward (and I don't know that they have) then they are just using politics in the way that politics have always been used... to accomplish their goals.

Yes. And never talk about Mozart to Southerners, mountain climbing to black people, or NASCAR to Jews. ;)

Rick

Bruce are you saying that we're not as good at practicing deception? We're surrounded by the same infinite intelligence and immersed in the same limitless wisdom as everyone else. Maybe we're not interested in practicing bullshit.

Peace Brother.

Ben N. Moore

I had a partner that was a former marine that was huge football fan. I used to enjoy watching him get excited and jump up and down on his coffee table. I found him way more entertaining than the game.

I also have a co-worker that is on the women's rugby team. (and yes, she's a lesbian) Those are some tough ladies. They'd probably be more than happy to smite un-believers.

Ben N. Moore

Guess we asked for, we got it...

We seek the rulings of known con men and devils. Once granted, then we'll oppose them...what a worldwhat a world