In light of all of these circumstances, we conclude that retention of the traditional definition of marriage does not constitute a state interest sufficiently compelling, under the strict scrutiny equal protection standard, to justify withholding that status from same-sex couples. Accordingly, insofar as the provisions of sections 300 and 308.5 draw a distinction between opposite-sex couples and same-sex couples and exclude the latter from access to the designation of marriage, we conclude these statutes are unconstitutional.73
#2
Makes me ashamed to be a Californian. I hope this gets appealed to SCOTUS before Obama has a chance to pack it with moonbats.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
05/15/2008 16:11 Comments ||
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#3
No appeal to SCOTUS. The entire decision was based on the Caliphornia constitution. Looks like another initiative on the ballot this November. At least it will get more McCain voters out.
#8
CA may as well just stop recognizing "marriage" completely, and substitute standard contract language.
Thats what they are reducing it to: legal contract in order to gain tax status.
So dissolve all that, reduce it to what it is: a civil contract, covered under contract and tort law.
And remove the "marriage" breaks from tax law. After all, they are there to promote traditional marriage and family, and the court just found that to be illegal.
So, the lawmakers can give tax advantage to those who have produced children and are in a legally bound contract state, since3 that is the benefit society gains from marriage right now. Single-parent situations are not beneficial to society, nor are childless "marriages" in that they do not add anything over and above simply shacking up and not needed as much housing. So no need for a tax break for those folks anymore. File individually and pay taxes accordingly.
No special treatment for anyone except those that are providing a tangible general benefit to society (having raising their children) by their actions inside a contractual union.
After all, that is the "social good" that marriage is said to bring, so that is the only situation that deserves a governmental tax break.
Anything else, in the eyes of an amoral neutral state completely walled of from religion, is contractual convenience (inheritance, legal authority to act, insurance sharing, etc), and no business of the state regarding content, only civil enforcement of the contract.
So gays, polygamists, polyamorists, etc will all get what they asked for, contractual protection and recognition of a contract by the state, but not what they want (moral equivalence).
Marriage will once again return to being a sacrament, a spiritual relationship, and be the concern of the church, not the state.
Being "married" is no real sacrifice for the good of society.
Being married and having children does involve sacrifices that work for the general good of soceity.
So only the latter are entitled to a benefit (tax status) as long as they remain married, while the former can and should be treated the same as singles, legally, excepting any contract language to govern their relationship.
#13
But since no one needs a license to have sex, why would gays, polyamorists, etc., need to have a contract?
There are a lot of laws regarding illness, death, inheritance etc. that deal with spouse, not partner. Two ways to solve the problem. Change the law to include partner or change the law to allow gays to be spouses.
I would agree with much of what OS says in #9, but I believe the state has an interest in seeing that children are legitimate, biologically or legally, raised in a family, and that parents, biological and legal are held responsible for the upbringing of their children and rewarded (through taxes) while they do so.
With no fault divorce, the state sanctioned serial polyandry and polygamy. It's the parallel version up for grabs in the 'as long as its consenting adults' category. The final nail in the coffin of 'marriage' will be legalized commercial sex [beyond the virtual one now].
#15
There is supposed to be a referendum Constitutional ammendment on the Nov. ballot to only allow legal marriage between one each man/woman, however, as in Prop 187, it will only take one judge to declare an injunction against the peoples vote, and the goevernators AG will no doubt cave. You're screwed, have a gay olde time in the Rodney King state.
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/15/2008 20:50 Comments ||
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#19
Grenter, thats my point entirely. Marriage is no longer anything other than a contractual relationship in the eyes of the state. So it should be treated as such.
Contractual laws woudl handle insurance, etc.
Tax law would grant a break only to married who produce children AND stay together to raise them.
SO a "contractual marriage" for overnight with standard language of a pre-nup can be ruled legal under this ruling. Meaning eventually prostitution will be legal in a Muslim "temprary marriage" way of looking at things.
#21
btw - Civil Partnerships have been available in CA that grant all the rights of a marriage. This is just a power play for mainstream-forced acceptance by the gay community. It will backfire badly. If McCain plays this right, he could win CA, cuz I GUARANTEE that Amendment will draw conservatives and mainstreamers out in droves to vote.
For my own part, I have gay relatives and friends. I like them and respect their relationships, but it ain't marriage. Never will be, in my mind. For them to disrespect the societal norms of "mariage" pisses me off, and I've told em so. As long as there is an alternative with all the benefits, but a different name, I politely tell em to fuck off on this issue. Surprisingly, we remain friends and acknowledged (LOL) relatives, cuz I don't dispute their existence, their lifestyle ( I certainly wouldn't choose it or wish it for my kids), or their right to equal benefits. I just don't equate it with Man-Woman Marriage, and never will
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/15/2008 22:04 Comments ||
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#22
I kinda miss the old days when all you had to worry about was doing it in the road and scaring the horses.
A Kent man who is an associate professor at Seattle University was arrested in connection with a variety of child sex crimes on Monday in Colorado, reported KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.
Police said the arrest of Major Andrew Douglas Franz, 41, stemmed from an undercover Internet investigation by the Fremont County Combined Investigative Response Team. Police said Franz traveled from Washington to Fremont County in Colorado for the purpose of having sex with an underage girl.
Franz was charged with criminal attempt to commit criminal solicitation, enticement of a child, unlawful sexual contact, sexual assault on a child, trafficking in children, soliciting for child prostitution, pandering of a child and inducement of child prostitution. Franz is being held in the Fremont County Detention Center on a $50,000 cash-only bond.
He is an associate professor of military science at Seattle University known for his special forces background. He was married to a woman last month who neighbors described as being recently out of college.
During a 2006 run for the state legislature, Franz described himself as a proud father of two who was committed to fighting for resources for childrens' success.
Seattle University sent out the following statement to students and staff Tuesday night: "A Colorado media outlet has reported that Andrew Franz, an assistant professor in the ROTC program has been arrested and charged in that state in an incident last week that allegedly involved intended sexual contact with a minor.
Franz was appointed to the ROTC program by the U.S. Army as an employee of a Virginia company called Communications Technologies, which provides personnel to the Department of Defense for ROTC programs around the country.
Franz first taught at SU in 2000 and is scheduled to return to active duty status June 1 for deployment with his National Guard unit to Iraq.
The university is cooperating with Colorado law enforcement authorities in their handling of the case. I have directed the Army to end FranzÂ’ assignment with the university.
Our university policy is clear: we have zero tolerance of any sexual abuse of a minor."
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Bridegroom Kedir Mohamed wanted his wedding day to go with a bang and decided to celebrate by letting off firecrackers after the ceremony. However, it turned into damp squib when he was arrested for disturbing the peace in Bechena in northern Ethiopia on Sunday, the weekly Reporter newspaper said.
The reception was cancelled and the newly-wed spent his wedding night in police custody. Awww... he was just having a bit of fun.
The woman accused of being the primary booker for the prostitution ring patronized by Eliot Spitzer pleaded guilty on Wednesday morning to charges related to her role in the ring.
The woman, Temeka Rachelle Lewis, 32, pleaded guilty to charges of promoting prostitution and money laundering, becoming the first of the four defendants charged in the ring's operations to have her case adjudicated.
Lewis could face a prison sentence of up to 25 years when she is sentenced on Aug. 10, although federal sentencing guidelines allow for a much shorter term.
As part of her plea, she signed an agreement with the government to testify, if asked, before a federal grand jury in New York that is investigating the prostitution ring known as Emperor's Club V.I.P.
Spitzer announced his resignation as governor on March 12, two days after reports that he was the man referred to as Client No. 9 in court papers filed in the case against the prostitution ring. He could face criminal charges, possibly stemming from transactions to pay for at least half a dozen meetings with prostitutes.
Lewis's lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, declined to say whether Lewis knew Spitzer or would testify directly against him. "Her agreement obligates her to testify, if asked," Agnifilo said. "At this point we stand ready to receive direction from the government."
Posted by: Fred ||
05/15/2008 00:00 ||
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Will Elder, a founding artist of Mad Magazine, has died at the age of 86. No word on the cause but I heard months ago that he was in a nursing home and not expected to live even this long.
Harvard law professor Larry Tribe at NYU's commencement: "Think about it — if your mother and father had watched yesterday's equivalent of The Wire instead of doin' the big nastygetting it onoinking and boinkingdoin' the horizontal bop making love at just the right moment, you would not exist. So thank mom and dad for humpinggetting jiggy doing it. Your being here is an implausible, miraculous, serendipitous event."
Please note: Prof. Tribe has been touted as a possible Supreme Court judge by liberal Democrats.
Posted by: Mike ||
05/15/2008 10:14 ||
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#1
"yesterday's equivalent of The Wire"? What does that mean? And why is what a law professor thinks about the statistical probabilities of contingent history and the private lives of private people worthy of the forced attention of those not his students?
A Girl Scout sold 17,328 boxes of the group's signature cookies this year by setting up shop on a street corner, shattering her troop's old mark and probably setting a national record. Jennifer Sharpe, a 15-year-old from Dearborn, plans to travel to Europe with her troop with the proceeds from her feat. Hilly and Barry beating feet to sign her up to go door-to-door.
Posted by: Bobby ||
05/15/2008 06:13 ||
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#1
When I read something like this, the thought that comes to mind is that the girl has hyperactive parents.
#4
Quite an accomplishment for her with help from her Mom, who's one of her troop leaders. Lots better than pushing drugs. Don't know tho, I may be addicted to Thin Mints. I can't seem to pass any of the stands myself. But a little self-sacrifice is warranted in helping these kids earn their own way.
#5
Thin mints must be as adictive as crack. We put them in the freezer but then, when i happen upon them, I wind up consuming a sleeve before it warms up.
With Mayor Richard Daley running the vote, the Chicago City Council on Wednesday repealed its controversial ban on foie gras.
Over the shouted objections of Ald. Joe Moore (49th), the ban's sponsor, the council used a parliamentary manuever to put the ordinance on the floor for a vote. The council voted 37-6 to repeal the two-year-old ban, which critics argued had made Chicago--and the City Council--a national laughingstock.
Ald. Thomas Tunney (44th), a restaurant owner,forced the vote on the measure that prohibits restaurants in the city from serving the delicacy made from the engorged livers of ducks or geese. Moore, whose pleas for a debate were ignored by Daley, warned fellow aldermen "tomorrow it could happen to you."
Posted by: Fred ||
05/15/2008 00:00 ||
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#1
This brings up the question of how the ban survived the horselaugh test in the first place.
"tomorrow it could happen to you."
Hmmm. It's not clear if he meant steamrolled by Daley or fattened up for slaughter. Maybe both!
ROME, - The new right-wing government of Silvio Berlusconi, who is embarking on a third stint as prime minister, easily won a first vote of confidence in parliament on Wednesday. The vote in the Chamber of Deputies passed by 335 votes to 275.
Berlusconi now faces a similar ballot on Thursday in the Senate, where his coalition also enjoys a strong majority following elections in April.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/15/2008 00:00 ||
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Are rumors allowed to be posted at Rantburg? Even really, really strong ones????
MICHAEL S. STEELE, Lt.Governor (Republican)
State House
100 State Circle, Annapolis, MD 21401 - 1925
(410) 974-3901; 1-800-811-8336 (toll free, Maryland)
e-mail: ltgovernor
fax: (410) 974-5882
web: www.gov.state.md.us/ltgovernorbio.html
Lt. Governor Michael S. Steele, January 2003. Photo by Richard Lippenholz.
Lt. Governor since January 15, 2003. Co-Chair, Governor-elect's Transition Team, 2002-03.
Member, Governor's Executive Council, 2003-. Chair, State House Trust, 2003-. Chair, Governor's Commission on Minority Business Enterprise Reform, 2003. Chair, Governor's Commission on Quality Education, 2004-05. Member, State Planning Committee for Higher Education, 2004-; Governor's Subcabinet for International Affairs, 2005-.
Member, National Commission on Federal Election Reform, 2001. Board of Visitors, U.S. Naval Academy, 2002-05.
Born October 19, 1958. Attended Archbishop Carroll High School, Washington, DC; The Johns Hopkins University, B.A. (international relations), 1981; Augustinian Friars Seminary, Villanova University; Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 1991. Attorney (corporate securities). Founder, The Steele Group (business & legal consulting firm). Board of Trustees, The Johns Hopkins University, 1981-85. Associate, Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, 1991-97. Member, Prince George's County Maryland Black Republican Council, 1992. Chair, Prince George's County Republican Central Committee, 1994-2000. Chair, Maryland State Minority Outreach Task Force, 1995-97. Delegate, Republican Party National Convention, 2000, 2004 (alternate, 1996). Chair, Republican Party State Central Committee, 2000-02. Executive Committee, Republican National Committee, 2000-02. Member, Prince George's County Chapter, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP); Knights of Columbus; The Johns Hopkins Society of Black Alumni. Host, "Lunchtime with Maryland's GOP" (WOLB radio). Man of the Year, Maryland Republican Party, 1995. Member, Tau Epsilon Phi Fraternity. Pastoral Council, Archdiocese of Washington, 1996-99. Board of Directors, East Baltimore Development, Inc. Member, Advisory Committee, Export-Import Bank of the United States. Citizen of the Year Award, Maryland State Council, Knights of Columbus, 2003. Republican of the Year, Prince George's County Republican Central Committee, 2003. Citizen of the Year, Prince George's County Board of Trade, 2003. Community Leadership Award, Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund, 2003. President's Award, Johns Hopkins Society of Black Alumni, 2003. Award of Excellence, Fulwood Foundation, 2004. Parren J. Mitchell Award, National Black Chamber of Commerce, 2004. James Cardinal Hickey National Figure Award, Office of Youth Ministry & Catholic Youth Organization, Archdiocese of Washington, 2005. Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership, Aspen Institute, 2005. Award, Bethune-DuBois Institute, 2005. Member, St. Mary's Catholic Church, Landover Hills. Married; two sons.
#1
Forgot one important item, lost last election. And he comes from a state McCain will never carry unless Hussein is found in bed with a dead boy or a live goat.
#2
I kind of like Steele. Better than McCain, anyway. Thought he did quite a respectable job with his speech at the last convention, and ran a good campaign - doubt any Republican could have won that race in that time and place - even Reagan. But he won't get the Reps any net electors - Obama (half African and half American) will still poll 90% of the black American votes, even though Steele is twice as black and twice as American.
Steele is very articulate, humorous, expresses and believes in conservative positions, and is a good campaigner to even come close in a socialist state like Maryland without compromising his basic conservative values.
Probably a good choice. Press will call it pandering.
#8
Michael Steele is SUCH an impressive individual. Since he(former MD LTGOV[R]) and Gov. Bob Erlich were forced out by the entrenched MD Dem thug/mafia in Annapolis, Michael, because he is black, has been down-relegated by the MSM to provide racial news commentary. It's a gig, but the man has been MARGINALIZED to the max. I sense that he's uncomfortable in that role. Michael Steele sees himself as an American man and a father; not a black male with issues. Always refreshing...
#11
"but it might work to cancel out the white guilt vote"
Bingo. And Mr. Steele has guest hosted for Hugh Hewitt at least twice that I noticed. It was interesting to listen to him.
If having a black VP candidate is the goal, Walter E. Williams would be a good choice, too. He is brilliant and McCain claims to be weak on economic issues. Having an economist and college professor (George Mason University) as a running mate would be a good move.
Antoin "Tony" Rezko was attacked by the prosecution as the mastermind of an elaborate fraud scheme but excused by the defense as a total bystander as closing arguments began Monday in the trial of the Blagojevich administration insider.
"This case is about the defendant's corrupt use of his power and influence to benefit himself and his friends over the people of Illinois," Assistant U.S. Atty. Reid Schar told jurors.
But Rezko's lawyer, Joseph Duffy, insisted that prosecutors were so dead set on nabbing Rezko they grossly inflated his political influence and tried to frame him for the criminal behavior of their own star witness, political fixer Stuart Levine.
"The government has spent 10 weeks trying to convince you that Mr. Rezko was probably the governor of Illinois," Duffy said. "But there's not a single charge in here other than Stuart Levine's criminal acts, and that should shock you."
The extent of Rezko's political muscle was front and center in the debate before jurors, highlighting the stakes in a case that not only has put Gov. Rod Blagojevich on the defensive but also has proved an embarrassment this election year for Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama. Rezko befriended both Illinois leaders and did significant fundraising for them.
The criminal case against Rezko centers on his connections to Blagojevich, not Obama. Combined, Schar and Duffy made 41 references to the governor on Monday. Schar never mentioned Obama's name, and Duffy uttered it twice.
Schar reminded jurors of something Duffy had told them when the trial began in early March: Rezko was, in reality, dedicated to good government.
"Ladies and gentlemen, time and time again, the evidence demonstrates that the defendant was not about good government," Schar declared in a scolding tone.
Rezko is charged with 24 criminal counts, including mail and wire fraud, attempted extortion and money-laundering. Prosecutors said Rezko schemed with Levine to reap millions of dollars of illegal kickbacks through Levine's positions on a pair of state boards.
The prosecution's case was complex, and Schar's task was to take disparate strands of evidence and weave a simple, user-friendly explanation of how it tied together. Where he and Duffy differed most vigorously was over the importance of Levine to the government's case.
To Duffy, everything prosecutors were trying to pin on Rezko relied on Levine, who over 15 days of testimony proved a shaky witness with an often unreliable memory. Duffy hit time and time again at Levine's credibility, his long history of drug abuse and his ready admission he had been a lifelong con man and liar.
His voice dripping with sarcasm, Duffy ridiculed Levine as a "Pinocchio" who made up a fantastic story about Rezko to secure a plea deal and a lighter sentence for his own crimes from prosecutors. "His nose grew on the witness stand," Duffy declared.
As Duffy spoke, a quote from his blistering cross-examination of Levine flashed on a large screen. "But you wouldn't try to pull a con on this jury, would you, Mr. Levine?" it read.
And Duffy told jurors that the Levine they heard testify was an airbrushed version of the Levine they heard on government wiretaps talking to Rezko and other major figures in the case.
On the tapes, Duffy said, Levine repeatedly stammered and often sounded incoherent, suggesting that Levine was stoned. To back up that notion, Duffy also highlighted bank records that Levine made more than $1.3 million in cash withdrawals between 2000 and 2004, most of which the lawyer claimed must have been spent on drugs.
Prosecutors "brought serious charges against a citizen of this country based solely on the credibility of a man who cannot be believed," Duffy argued.
Schar made no attempt to defend Levine but rather confronted his character problems head-on. "He is the embodiment of corruption," Schar said in a tacit admission that Levine was not an ideal witness. "And on top of that he is arrogant and unlikable."
The issue was not whether the jury found Levine repugnant, Schar continued. "The issue is whether he's telling the truth," the prosecutor said.
While Duffy portrayed Levine as pivotal to the government's case, Schar described him as only a piece of the puzzle and argued that his allegations against Rezko were bolstered by other witnesses as well as conversations on government wiretaps.
#1
The only place this is going to turn up is on the net. Like Monicagate, the MSM sold their souls to someone and will not do a 'Republican'* on one of their own until the damage is already done, both to the protected and their shredded dwindling customer base. On the other hand it keeps the Keating Five off the front burner too, because Rezko will be the one word reply to any MSM storyline.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
A Kent man who is an associate professor at Seattle University was arrested in connection with a variety of child sex crimes on Monday in Colorado, reported KIRO 7 Eyewitness News.
Arrested for firecrackers
The woman accused of being the primary booker for the prostitution ring patronized by Eliot Spitzer pleaded guilty on Wednesday morning to charges related to her role in the ring.
With Mayor Richard Daley running the vote, the Chicago City Council on Wednesday repealed its controversial ban on foie gras.
Lt. Governor since January 15, 2003. Co-Chair, Governor-elect's Transition Team, 2002-03. 
