Two years after the New York State Senate strongly rejected gay marriage, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced passage of the Marriage Equality Act today by a margin of 33 to 29, granting same-sex couples the freedom to marry under the law. New York is the sixth and largest state to approve gay marriage, effectively doubling the number of Americans living in states with the freedom to marry. more ›

The Senate today "voted to advance legislation that would overturn the military ban on openly gay troops known as 'don't ask, don't tell.' " That is to say, the ban on openly gays serving in the military will, most likely, be lifted. Later on Saturday afternoon, the Senate will make the final vote. more ›

Well, folks, it's been in the cards for a while, and Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, at the ripe old age of 89, is finally throwing in the towel this summer, setting the stage for another Senate fight over activist judges, etc. The NYT wrote about Stevens last weekend, knowing this retirement announcement was coming since the fall when Stevens hired only one instead of his usual four clerks. more ›

Yes, everyone! It's the big news this pre-Xmas Monday morning. The U.S. Senate wanted to give everyone a present this week, and in the wee hours of this morning a whopping 60 of them voted to end debate on the thoroughly compromised health care bill that's been the talk of the nation lo these many months. As the NYT reports, the vote concluded "a long day of acid, partisan debate" in which Democrats blamed Republicans for pulling out every last stop they had to delay the vote, and Republicans blamed Democrats for everything under the sun, including destroying America and keeping poor, 92-year-old Robert Byrd up way past his bedtime (Democrats, in turn, blamed Republicans for this too). more ›

During opening remarks by Sen. Dianne Feinstein in the Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Judge Sonia Sotomayor this morning, an anti-abortion protester stood up, shouted something about genocide and the unborn, and was promptly dragged out of the room. Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, who's presiding over the hearing and therefore in charge of the gavel, was having none of it. The man's name is Robert James, and he's been charged with unlawful conduct and disruption of Congress. No word on whether the God Hates Fags-famed Phelpses -- who never met an event that they couldn't relate back to homosexuality and God's wrath -- have shown up. more ›

The Minnesota Supreme Court has just declared, in a 32-page unanimous decision, that Al Franken won the state's seat in the U.S. Senate in the contested November election against Republican Norm Coleman. The governor, Tim Pawlenty, has already said that he was ready to certify the comedian and liberal pundit just as soon as the court made up their mind, however there is still a 10-day period in which Coleman may concede or in which a federal court could issue a stay. So long as Coleman doesn't care to spend more than the $11 million already spent on the recount or the $50+ million spent on the campaign, this would give Democrats their coveted, filibuster-proof 60th vote in the Senate. more ›

We don't think there are many people who would consider politicians as containing much in the way of a sense of humor or any sense of irony, but in an awesome move of political satire, Republican Senator Libby Dole of North Carolina added an amendment to an AIDS bill now winding itself through the Senate that would name it after recently deceased senator Jesse Helms. The bill would give about $50 billion dollars in funding to fight AIDS and other diseases around the world and with it, a possible lifting of a travel ban on people with HIV. What makes the amendment such a great bit of political satire (right up there with the New Yorker cover) is that Helms was a long time racist and homophobe who said any number of things against gay people and people with AIDS and fought any and all funding to try and help people with it. In fact, it was Helms who created the travel ban on people with HIV Oh wait...this just in....it's not a bit of satire. Dole is completely serious about what she's doing. more ›

Mark Leno and Carole Migden, please step forward. more ›

SF city supervisor Chris Daly penned an open letter to the folks over at SFBG today, asking them to endorse la Migden for reelection. more ›

The airtight smiles. Awesome. For those of you somehow not tempted into becoming a part of Van Santian art -- or, you know, if you sport a vagina -- might we suggest catching round II of the Leno vs. Migden smackdown? Sponsored by the Harvey Milk Club, this meeting is sure to ruffle a few plumes and have local politicos affectedly scratching their chins for days to come. That's right, kids, it's on. It is... more ›