What is Rell's basis for her strong opposition to

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

gay marriage ? How does she justify second class status for our GLBT citizens ? Is there a veto proof majority in CT legislature process? Just some thoughts as I heard the news reports this AM on gay marriage bill hearings

[monarch]

1. Her reasons are the typical ones and we can't necessarily count on our veto proof majority

(which we do have) There are plenty of old-time Dems from intolerant districts who cannot be counted on.

I did go to the hearings yesterday but could not make myself stay for very long. I have very little tolerance for sheer idiocy, which was on full display. I expected the opposition to present thoroughly stupid arguments and I knew, from past experience, that the legislators could also outdo the witnesses in the stupidity department but the combination was just too much to bear.

They spent over an hour with one witness, a severely disturbed woman from British Columbia, who has apparently made it her life's work to travel around this country opposing gay marriage. One legislator pursued a ridiculous line of questioning about her assertion that there were no free speech rights in Canada and then moving on to getting her "expert" opinion on whether Canadian gays and lesbians had really wanted marriage rights.

Those types of questions would have made me want to scream anyway, but the fact that she had such obviously severe psychological problems made me feel like I was a witness to something akin to child abuse. Even our defenders would piggyback on something she said to go off on their own ego trip pontifications. It was brutal!

On what was then a happier note, I encountered Meghan Pattyson in the LOB atrium while I waited for a friend who was attending the hearing. I managed to do the whole gushing fan thing telling her what a great job she does and that everything I know about basketball I learned from her show.

Needless to say, I am in mourning today from the game last night. This was my very first foray into the political blogs this am. Crazy news about Tony Snow, isn't it?