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Federal judge voids Texas' gay marriage ban, though he delays order from taking effect immediately — Mark Phariss of Plano, left, held the hand of partner Victor Holmes, center, as they left the U.S. Federal Courthouse in San Antonio after a hearing earlier this month.
Discussion:
The Heritage Foundation, Daily Kos, Advocate, No More Mister Nice Blog, Off the Kuff, Joe. My. God. and Liberal Values
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Texas' ban on gay marriage ruled unconstitutional — SAN ANTONIO — A federal judge in San Antonio on Wednesday declared Texas' ban on gay marriage unconstitutional. The Lone Star state's refusal to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages is also unconstitutional, he ruled.
Discussion:
Texas Attorney General, Mediaite, Associated Press, PoliticusUSA, Americans Against the …, Liberaland and The PJ Tatler


Fail: Texas GOP Candidate Accidentally Endorses Gay Marriage On Twitter
Discussion:
The Daily Banter and Gawker

BREAKING: Federal judge strikes down Texas' bans on same-sex marriage
Discussion:
Freedom to Marry Blog, Talking Points Memo, Towleroad News #gay and The Raw Story


IT'S DEAD: Brewer Vetoes Anti-Gay Bill — Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer (R) announced Wednesday night that she has vetoed the anti-gay bill that has been sitting on her desk since last week. — The bill “does not address a specific or present concern related to religious liberty in Arizona,” she said in explaining her decision.
Discussion:
Democratic Strategist, Hinterland Gazette, The Heritage Foundation, Associated Press and bizjournals
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Rick Scott Now Says He Would Veto Arizona Anti-Gay Bill
Discussion:
The Reaction, The Dish, Naked Politics and The Huffington Post

Controversial Arizona bill vetoed
Discussion:
Lawyers, Guns & Money, Gawker, Mashable, Hot Air and Liberal Values

AZ Gov Brewer In Emergency Meetings Over Anti-Gay Bill
Discussion:
Business Insider, Liberaland, Arizona Republic and Daily Kos


Americans know there's no GOP ‘alternative’ to Obamacare — Obamacare is a disaster for Democrats, and a certain winner for Republicans. That's what we keep hearing, anyway. — So why does it look as if the percentage of Americans who favor repeal may have actually shrunk since its rollout problems began?
Discussion:
The New Republic, Daily Kos and Taegan Goddard's …
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Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: February 2014 — Liz Hamel, Jamie Firth and Mollyann Brodie … Overall, more prefer expensive broad-network plans over cheaper narrow-network plans, but potential ACA exchange customers lean in the opposite direction — There has been a lot of discussion …
Discussion:
The Hill, American Power, The Fix, The Daily Caller, PoliticusUSA, Washington Monthly and Jammie Wearing Fools

Another Round of Obamacare Train Wrecks
Discussion:
Hot Air and Los Angeles Times


U.S. REP. CORY GARDNER TO ENTER U.S. SENATE RACE AGAINST MARK UDALL — Republican Congressman Cory Gardner is planning to drop his re-election bid and run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Mark Udall, a political bombshell that is expected to alter Colorado's political landscape.
Discussion:
New York Times, Weekly Standard, Talking Points Memo, RedState, Daily Kos, The Fix, OnPolitics, ThinkProgress and Roll Call
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Top Senate Dem: Koch Brothers Are Un-American — The Senate's top Democrat criticized a pair of billionaire brothers in unusually harsh terms Wednesday, accusing the conservative duo of being “un-American,” spreading lies about President Barack Obama's health care overhaul and lacking a conscience.
Discussion:
CNN
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Republicans too focused on health-care law, some in GOP warn
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and addictinginfo.org


Source: NFL begins exploring Super Bowl XLIX relocation options — The NFL previously stripped Arizona of a Super Bowl in 1993, relocating the game to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. — Even as momentum continues to build against Arizona's controversial bill that would allow businesses …
Discussion:
Guardian, The Raw Story, Hot Air, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos and Business Insider
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Arizona Governor Vetoes Bill on Refusal of Service to Gays — PHOENIX — Ending a day that cast a glaring national spotlight on Arizona, the state's Republican governor, Jan Brewer, decided late Wednesday to veto a bill that would have given business owners the right to refuse service to gays and lesbians on religious grounds.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Moderate Voice, Little Green Footballs, ThinkProgress and The Week


G.O.P., Though Deeply Split, Has Election Edge, Poll Shows — Republicans are in a stronger position than Democrats for this year's midterm elections, benefiting from the support of self-described independents, even though the party itself is deeply divided and most Americans agree …
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How the Fed Let the World Blow Up in 2008 — High oil prices blinded the Fed to the growing danger before the crash — It was the day after Lehman failed, and the Federal Reserve was trying to decide what to do. — It had been fighting a credit crunch for over a year, and now the worst-case scenario was playing out.


Photo of the Day: The Catastrophe in Syria — The Obama administration's Syria policy has been a fiasco. I don't think anyone seriously tries to defend it. That said, the humanitarian tragedy that is unfolding in that country is not the responsibility of the U.S. government.


Joe Biden in Winter — “The only thing I know is I ain't changing my brand. I know what I believe. I'm confident in what I know. And I'm gonna say it. And if folks like it, wonderful. If they don't like it, I understand.” — Vice President Joe Biden and I were riding the Amtrak to Philly on a frigid February day.

Supreme Court spectator interrupts justices — (CNN) — The Supreme Court was the scene of an unusual disturbance during its public session on Wednesday, when a man interrupted an oral argument. — The incident occurred near the end of debate between the nine justices on the bench and counsel …
Discussion:
Mediaite


Va. GOP official apologizes for genital slang “error” — UPDATE: In an email, FitzSimmonds said he thought the word he used had the same meaning as “twaddle,” which is defined as foolish speech. — “The minute I found out my error, I deleted the post and apologized,” he told Pilot on Politics.
Discussion:
The Dish, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite and The Raw Story


Adidas to stop selling Brazil World Cup T-shirts that ‘encourage sexual tourism’ — Sportswear maker to stop selling T-shirts before World Cup after Brazil's ministry of women's affairs said shirts were offensive — Adidas agreed on Tuesday to stop selling two raunchy T-shirts months ahead …
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Mediaite and The Raw Story


For Marriage Equality, Religious Liberty, and the Freedom of Association — Even though I'm for marriage equality - next week I'll be filing a brief supporting the challenge to the marriage laws of Oklahoma and Utah in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit - I have no problem with Arizona's SB 1062.
Discussion:
National Review and Lawyers, Guns & Money
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No, this is not Jim Crow for gays, Part Two
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Hot Air and Christian News …


Survey | A Shifting Landscape: A Decade of Change in American Attitudes about Same-Sex Marriage and LGBT Issues — ▶ Read the full report here. — ▶ Read the news release here. — ▶ Read the topline questionnaire, including the survey methodology, here. — Executive Summary
Discussion:
New York Times, The Huffington Post, Hot Air, Advocate and PostPartisan

House votes unanimously to fix FOIA process — The House on Tuesday afternoon easily passed legislation to make it easier for people to ask for — and actually receive — information from the government about the government's activities. — Members passed H.R. 1211, the FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act, in an easy 410-0 vote.
Discussion:
Sunlight Foundation Blog


Planned Parenthood reveals big 2014 game plan — The political arm of Planned Parenthood is preparing to launch its largest campaign offensive ever, targeting more than a dozen states and some of the cycle's top Senate and gubernatorial races to raise the alarm about the stakes …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo


Rand Paul Blocks Surgeon General Nominee For Saying Gun Violence Is A Public Health Threat — On Wednesday — two years to the day after George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin — Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) placed a hold on President Barack Obama's nominee for Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy …
Discussion:
Rand Paul, Liberal Values, BobCesca.com, Daily Kos and Booman Tribune