Gay marriage can not be prohibited in California:

The California Supreme Court has overturned a ban on gay marriage, paving the way for California to become the second state where gay and lesbian residents can marry. The justices released the 4-3 decision Thursday, saying that domestic partnerships are not a good enough substitute for marriage in an opinion written by Chief Justice Ron George.

Here is the opinion (PDF). Kevin Drum has more on an initiative being proposed to amend the California Constitution to allow such a prohibition.

There is a famous truism that politics ends at the waters' edge. George W. Bush trampled that much trumpeted principle to engage in a vile McCarthyistic attack on Barack Obama before the Israeli Knesset.

Not only is George W. Bush the worst President in history, he is the most tasteless and disgusting.

What a shameful episode for our Nation that this travesty of a President was elected to the highest office in our land. He will always remain a stain in our history.

Speaking for me only

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The Cannes Film Festival is underway. Sean Penn and Natalie Portman were asked if they were going to jump on the Hollywood A-lister bandwagon and endorse Barack Obama. Sean Penn said:

”I don't have a candidate I'm supporting and I'm certainly interested and excited by the hope that Barack Obama is inspiring,” he said, but went on to accuse him of a “phenomenally inhuman and unconstitutional” voting record.

”I hope that he will understand, if he is the nominee, the degree of disillusionment that will happen if he doesn't become a greater man than he will ever be,” Penn said. “This is the most important election, certainly in my lifetime, and maybe ever.”

More...

Stephen Bright of the Southern Center for Human Rights, a champion in the defense of capital cases and a personal hero of mine, discusses what's next for the death penalty in the video above and in a blogpost today at MoBlogic.tv .

Although public opinion polls continue to show support for the death penalty, imposition of the death penalty is down by more than 50% over 10 years. In the late 1990s, around 280-300 people were being sentenced to death a year. In the last 5 years, it’s been around 125 to 150 a year. No one has noticed this. But it is significant that a country this large with as many homicides as we have is sentencing so few people to death each year.

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NARAL is one of the most politically obtuse organizations I know of. I personally would never want Nancy Keenan in a position of influence in any organization I care about. Look what her ridiculous decision to jump into the Dem contest fray has wrought:

I think Barack Obama would be nuts to not unify the Democratic Party by offering Hillary Clinton the VP slot. But let's assume he is that nuts - Bob Beckel argues Hillary Clinton could take the VP slot over Obama's objections:

[I]magine its June 4th and Clinton calls again. Clinton, "I know Obama has enough votes to win, but I wanted you to know Hillary has decided to run for vice president at the convention. You know there are two roll call votes at the convention: first president then for vice president. I know you are voting for Obama for president. Fine, but I want your commitment to vote for Hillary for vice president."

MORE . . .

Things have been a whirlwind online the past two days, between Hillary's win in West Virginia and John Edwards' endorsement of Barack Obama in Michigan.

There are other things going on in the world, such as, the Pentagon is trying to keep the five charged Gitmo Detainees from preparing for their military commission trial with their lawyers. The ACLU has the details.

The American Civil Liberties Union expressed outrage today at the Pentagon's announcement of a June 5 date for the arraignment of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other detainees accused of crimes related to September 11 before all of the defendants have met with their prospective lawyers.

The marijuana reform groups think Barack Obama is going to help them. Here's his latest interview out today on the topic. When asked if he would stop the federal raids on pot dispensaries in states that have legalized marijuana:

“I would because I think our federal agents have better things to do, like catching criminals and
preventing terrorism.

The way I want to approach the issue of medical marijuana is to base it on science. And if there is sound science that supports the use of medical marijuana and if it is controlled and prescribed in a way that other medicine is prescribed, then it’s something we should consider.” (James Pitkin, > “Six Minutes With Barack,” Willamette Week, 5/14/08)(my emphasis)

Of course, the science is there, the science is sound and has been for years. All he's promising is more studies and to think about it. [More...]

Check out the flyer Barack Obama is sending out in Kentucky to reach evangelicals. His campaign explains why they are sending it out. In it, he touts his accepting Jesus Christ into his life. You can view it here. Look at the top and the bottom.

The flyer is titled: Faith. Hope. Change. It talks about how Obama accepted Jesus Christ into his life. It contains a quote from Obama that says "my faith teaches me that I can sit in church and pray all I want, but I won't be fulfilling God's will unless I go out and do the Lord's work."

The Obama campaign explanation:

Five threads in one day for John Edwards is plenty. Even the Washington Post says his endorsement will have a short news cycle hit and in the end not matter much.

So, onto Kentucky. Hillary got the endorsement today of four former Democratic KY governors. The demographics favor her. And, while a record number have registered to vote, only 16,000 new voters registered since January. [More...]

Continuing on from Big Tent Democrat's post on John Edwards endorsement of Obama:

John Edwards has been on tv for two weeks saying there was no reason for him to endorse either candidate. What changed? In two words: West Virginia. In four words: West Virginina and Kentucky.

Here's John Edwards on Monday night, May 12, the night before West Virginia, telling Larry King why he hasn't endorsed:

LARRY KING: You have not endorsed, senator. Some might say as a major figure in the party at this point, don't you have a responsibility to endorse?

JOHN EDWARDS (D), FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No. I think that what I have a responsibility to do is make sure that the Democrats' message and our cause is heard and that we're united in the fall. You know, myself, Al Gore, I think there are some others who haven't spoken out yet about this nomination battle.

[More...]

One good thing to come from John Edwards' endorsement of Barack Obama is that there is absolutely no reason at all now to now seat the full Florida and Michigan delegations. Edwards will now throw his delegates to Obama. In Florida that would mean a 105-80 split in favor of Hillary Clinton. In Michigan that would mean a 73-60 split in favor of Clinton. The total gain for Clinton would 33 delegates, down from 48 delegates.

Barack Obama needs to take the bull by the horns here, tell Donna Brazile that winning in November matters more than her silly turf wars in the DNC, and regain the high ground in Florida and Michigan.

Do it now Barack. For your sake and the sake of the Party.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only.