Same-sex marriage: Obama now onboard!

From CNN:

President Barack Obama has ordered the Justice Department to stop defending the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage for federal purposes as only between a man and woman, according to a statement Wednesday from Attorney General Eric Holder.

“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,” Holder said.

The key provision in the law “fails to meet that standard and is therefore unconstitutional.”

“Given that conclusion, the president has instructed the (Justice Department) not to defend the statute” in two pending cases in New York, Holder said. “I fully concur with the president’s determination.”

Obama has previously expressed his personal opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act but had never stated an opinion relating to its constitutionality.

An imperfect solution, one which leaves same-sex marriages vulnerable to the decisions of the next president. But it is one more milestone in the long march to equality.

Pro-big gov’t Republican wants us to report miscarriages

Were you longing for fresh news of the Georgia state rep who wants to describe rape victims as accusers?  He wants your attention so badly, else why would he now propose a bill to the Georgia assembly which includes a proviso that women report miscarriages  (see Section 2.14) and volunteer to be investigated as to whether or not they caused their miscarriages?

(a) A report of spontaneous fetal death for each spontaneous fetal death which occurs in this state shall be filed with the local registrar of the county in which the delivery occurred within 72 hours after such delivery in accordance with this Code section unless the place of fetal death is unknown, in which case a fetal death certificate shall be filed in the county in which the dead fetus was found within 72 hours after such occurrence.

Subsection (3) is especially charming:

When a spontaneous fetal death required to be reported by this Code section occurs without medical attendance at or immediately after the delivery or when inquiry is required by Article 2 of Chapter 16 of Title 45, the ‘Georgia Death Investigation Act,’ the proper investigating official shall investigate the cause of fetal death and shall prepare and file the report within 30 days…

Perhaps you already heard something about this, and thought it must surely be an exaggeration; after all, no anti-Big Government conservative would seek such a phenomenal expansion of government into individuals’ private lives.  And imagine the expense!

But possibly it is a sneaky jobs-creation bill, because imagine the Traumatized Women Investigation Taskforce (TWIT) it would require establishing!  I for one, look forward eagerly to his forthcoming proposal to have every woman in Georgia report their every menstruation, just in case it contains a zygote.  The city of Atlanta alone would keep investigators of those nefarious women so busy!  And who’s to say women don’t do something to bring their periods on!

(I know, it’s just one state rep in Georgia whose bill will likely never pass.  I’m just obeying his bid for fame, but I also want to remain vigilant.  If this guy ever runs for president, then this material is comedy gold.)