STORY #1: Obama’s DOMA drama
President Obama has announced that his government will no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which remains, in my mind, the single worst piece of federal legislation that isn’t “Don’t ask, don’t tell.” Not only does it lack any constitutional basis, but its raison d’être is the fact that some people are uncomfortable with same-sex marriage, and that’s no reason at all. Any self-styled conservative should be ashamed of themselves if they ever endorsed or voted for this drivel.
So does this mean Obama now supports legalizing gay marriage? According to a White House spokesman, he is “still grappling” with his beliefs on the issue. If he would like some help in his search for truth, I would advise him to come and visit us in Canada, where same-sex marriage has been legal for six years. He will be able to see then that there are no side effects.
STORY #2: It’s a ho-down!
According to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), “Nevada needs to be known as the first place for innovation and investment – not as the last place where prostitution is still legal.” In truth, prostitution is bringing Nevada as close as it possibly can get to a diversified economy. Yet Reid is now pushing to repeal its legalization, not out of fiscal concerns but out of plain old embarrassment.
I’d be pretty embarrassed if the only reasons people traveled to my state were gambling and poon. But legalized prostitution enables the state to regulate it, which is good for the people working in it, and tax it, which is good for its own coffers. If Reid would like to get people’s minds off Nevada’s fine brothels, he might consider investing some of that revenue in a third economic sector.
STORY #3: Wandering eye of Newt
Some time ago, I published a column about how any attempt by former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) to run for the presidency was doomed to fail, mostly because, as Speaker, he failed at getting then-President Bill Clinton to do things his way; Republicans don’t forget that easily. Now it’s suspected that what I called “the wife thing” will be the death of him. He says it won’t.
And, really? It won’t. He’ll lose simply because the GOP has better people to nominate than him. Only if he starts spouting off about traditional morality will it become anything resembling an issue.
