Poll: Obamacare, Same-Sex Marriage Settled, So Move On

By fairly substantial margins, a new USA TODAY/ Suffolk University Poll shows that Americans believe that the Supreme Court has settled issues relating to the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and same-sex marriage, with one dumbass segment of the population out of step:

By 52%-36%, those polled say officials who oppose the Affordable Care Act should take steps to improve the law but end efforts to repeal it, given the high court's decision rejecting its most serious legal challenge. But Republicans by more than 2-1, 63%-27%, say the campaign to overturn the law should continue.

On same-sex marriage, Americans by 51%-33% say local and state officials now should allow gay couples to wed in their jurisdictions even if they oppose gay marriage. On that, Republicans also tend to disagree: 49% say officials who oppose same-sex unions should take steps to resist the court's ruling and block them while 38% say they should allow them to take place.

The poll also shows Hillary Clinton maintaining a big lead over others in the Democratic field.

Today's Dispatch From The Stupid Party

South Carolina Republican State Sen.  Lee "Not Very" Bright opened up what was supposed to be a debate over the state's continuing to fly the flag of slavery and treason on the state capitol grounds, but got a little off-course:

Bright argued that lawmakers should be protecting county clerks from the “tyranny” of having to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples instead of debating the Confederate flag.

“Our governor called us in to deal with the flag that sits out front, let’s deal with the national sin that we face today!” he exclaimed. “We talk about abortion but this gay marriage thing, I believe will be one nation gone under like President Reagan said. If we’re not one nation under God, we’ll be one nation gone under.”

“And to sanctify deviant behavior from five judges, it’s time for us to make our stand, church!” Bright yelled. “It’s time to make our stand and we’re not doing it.”

The senator choked up as he continued: “We can rally together and talk about a flag all we want but the devil is taking control of this land and we’re not stopping him!”

There's video of the speech by this porcine seditious theocrat at the link.  Meanwhile, the clock is running on how long before it's discovered that "Not Very" Bright (fill in the blank with some account of hypocritical behavior).  As far as trying to turn a debate about the flag of slavery and treason to a rant about gay marriage?  The man has a future in the Stupid Party, all right (or at least Fox "News").

And as far as the infallible St. Ronnie of Hollywood disapproving of the "gay marriage thing"?

The daughter of President Ronald Reagan says she thinks that her father would not “stand in the way” of gay marriage.

“He was a very tolerant person,” Patti Davis, 60, the late president’s youngest daughter, said on a YouTube show about gay rights on Wednesday. “He did not have prejudices against gay people.”

So "Not Very" Bright knows as much about St. Ronnie as he does about how our system of government works.  Shocking.

Scott Walker Wants Constitutional Amendment Allowing State Bans On Same-Sex Marriage

The pygmy continues to embarrass himself and the State he (most unfortunately) represents:

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) said Sunday that he supports a constitutional amendment that would bar the Supreme Court from granting marriage equality rights nationwide.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision this month that could grant, for once and for all, same-sex couples the right to wed across the country. But Walker said on ABC's "This Week" that he would support amending the constitution to protect states that still want to ban same-sex marriage.

"I personally believe that marriage is between one man and one woman," Walker, a prospective GOP presidential candidate, said. "If the court decides that, the only next approach is for those who are supporters of marriage being defined as between one man and one woman is ultimately to consider pursuing a constitutional amendment."  (our emphasis)

A constitutional amendment denying rights to fellow Americans.  That sounds real good and completely in character, Scottie.  We'd be shocked if you weren't on the wrong side of (soon) the law, morality and history.  Maybe the Republicans could repeal the 14th (civil rights) and 15th (Black suffrage) Amendments while they're at it -  a Republican trifecta!

(Photo:  Gov. Scott "Koch Head" Walker - he has a Constitutional Amendment he'd like to sell you!)

Same-Sex Couples: Stop! You're Offending Rand Paul!

So, stop with your same-sex marriages, because you offend "libertarian," plagiarist and self-certified ophthalmologist Sen. "Ayn" Rand Paul (Dudebro-KY)!!

Scary Gay People! Run For Your Lives! (Cont.)

It's been quite a week for Republican homophobe bigots (h/t Steve Benen):

Anyone tempted to believe Republican officials are slowly giving up on their staunch opposition to gay rights received quite a wake-up call this week. Much of Alabama is defying the federal courts on marriage equality; Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-La.) are talking about amending the U.S. Constitution; and in Kansas, Gov. Sam Brownback (R) has decided to roll back LGBT protections for no apparent reason.

 Bigots don't need a reason.  They just need ignorance and fear.

UPDATE:  Add another Republican backwater to the list.

Republican Message To Gays And Lesbians: "Please Forget Previous Messages"

Here's Stephen Colbert on the latest Republican effort (via Weeper of the House John "Mr. Tangerine Man" Boehner) to "send a message" to gays and lesbians following the Supreme Court's declining to weigh in on same-sex marriage cases.  As Stephen says, the message being sent is "Please forget all of our previous messages" (lol), following the inevitable ad:

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,The Colbert Report on Facebook,Video Archive

As Colbert notes at the end, one day in the distant future, Republicans will claim they were on the side of gays and lesbians all along.  Once again, we despair of the rebranding.

Shame on Shamu

As expected, New Jersey Governor and one-time Great White Whale...er, Hope of the Rethuglican Party Chris "Krispy Kreme" Christie * has vetoed a same-sex marriage bill passed by the New Jersey legislature. Christie, who has been touted as a possible Vice Presidential candidate (assuming there's no brokered Rethug convention where the delegates get Krispy Kreme fever), wants to have the issue of same-sex marriage on the November ballot. As someone who, to give credit, has spoken out against anti-Muslim and anti-black bigotry in his party, it's a shame Christie didn't have the same courage to muster when it came to his gay and lesbian constituents.

This comes at the same time as the legislature in the Hackwhackers' home state of Maryland has passed a same-sex marriage bill which Gov. Martin O'Malley will sign into law. Opponents here have vowed to petition to get it on the ballot in Maryland as well.

Rethugs might think, along with the contraception issue, that they have a culture war winner here -- but they would be wrong. Gay marriage is no longer opposed by a majority of Americans. But, seeing the economy improving, Rethuglicans are grasping at every culture war straw they can to get traction against progressives. This only serves to demonstrate that theirs is a morally and intellectually bankrupt party.

* As one who's been fighting the Battle of the Bulge myself for some years now, I know I shouldn't be mocking Christie's girth. But, dammit, the guy continues to be such an overall ass that I just can't help myself. Sorry.