From the S.F. Chronicle: The California Supreme Court has asked state Attorney General Jerry Brown to reply by Monday to lawsuits challenging the voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage — a sign that the justices are taking the cases seriously and will not dispose of them quickly. A good sign indeed. As Governor Schwarzenegger himself put it this past Sunday, referring to the ban on same-sex marriage enacted with Proposition 8, “it’s unfortunate, obviously, but it’s not the end. I...

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From TNR’s Seyward Darby: “Looks like Al Gore won’t be joining Team Obama. A spokesperson says, he ‘does not intend to seek or accept any formal position in government.’” Alas, I sigh, a great Gore admirer, who once thought Gore-Obama sounded awfully good, and who thought he was (and who may still think he is) “the best person for the White House.” (I wrote about it here, my friend Creature here.) Though perhaps he can do more good for...

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by Walter Brasch During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama was called mentally unstable; his supporters were called unpatriotic. At Sarah Palin rallies, in newspaper letters-to-the-editor, on conservative radio and TV talk shows, supporters spewed hatreds, resorting to the Bush tactics of fear mongering to support their own candidate. At many rallies, the word “kill” was often shouted. The ultra right wing, which infiltrated the McCain campaign, told us Obama is a (gasp!) Muslim, not understanding that not only isn’t...

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