For those who were not reading in October when we shared: “Candidate Marco Rubio Gains an Additional Master“, you might want to refresh; because much of what was covered in that Halloween 2015 review is now coming to pass.

Vetting a candidate is a process of deep research into the history, activity, associations, affiliations and prior background of a political candidate.  Marco Rubio is the least publicly vetted candidate in the race, and there’s a very good reason for that.

Whenever the media are not deep into a GOP candidate’s background, it’s generally because the information therein holds more value for their ideological use at a later date.

The days of reporters actually doing the legwork of research are in the rear view mirror.  Modern political vetting is done by private entities, private investigative teams, generally outside the official campaign administration of opponents.  That type of research is called opposition research, or “Oppo-research”.    (more…)

Hired by election and fully supported by her community, county clerk Kim Davis is handcuffed and jailed by a U.S. Marshall and federal judge.  Note that Davis is afforded no religious accommodation by the same federal government which mandates -by law- religious accommodation within the private sector for all employees.
And the social justice warrior crowd is gleeful…..

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In the era of Caitlyn, pop culture releases the hounds of cultural marxism…
(Via Bloomberg) Target Corp. is removing gender labels from most of its children’s departments after customers complained about signs designating certain toys for girls.
The kids’ bedding section will no longer feature boy and girl signage, and the toy department will be without labels and pink or blue paper on the shelves, Minneapolis-based Target said on its website Friday. Gender labels will remain in the kids’ clothing section because of sizing and fit differences.
Retailers have been moving away from gender stereotypes, and some startups have emerged to break down the divide in kids’ clothing and toys. The signage that sparked the dispute at Target was for building sets, like GoldieBlox, that are targeted at girls. (more…)

This is what happens when single issue activists are supported by the State and take judicial action against Christians. Not only did this couple lose their freedom of religion, but they also are forced to lose their freedom of speech.

OREGON – Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian finalized a preliminary ruling today ordering Aaron and Melissa Klein, the bakers who refused to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, to pay $135,000 in emotional damages to the couple they denied service.

“This case is not about a wedding cake or a marriage,” Avakian wrote. “It is about a business’s refusal to serve someone because of their sexual orientation. Under Oregon law, that is illegal.” (more…)

It started when Julie Baker claimed a neighbor had written her a note saying her yard decorations were “relentlessly gay”.

….“Put simply, I am a widow and the mother of four children, my youngest in high school and I WILL NOT Relent to Hatred,” she wrote. “Instead, I will battle it with whimsy and beauty and laughter and love, wrapped around my home, yard and family!!!”…

The Baltimore Sun promoted Ms. Baker’s claims with an article on June 18th supporting her advocacy and intentions to raise additional money to make her yard even more “relentlessly gay”.

Except now, well, there’s a problem. Baker claimed she talked to the police about the “threat”. The police said um, well, not-so-much; and the neighbor letter Baker was supposed to have been given, well, apparently that’s disappeared too.

Julie Baker was just scamming everyone, and she fleeced the rainbow sheeple for $43,000. (more…)

The gay rights advocates have rallied coast to coast in celebratory parades and marches delighted with the Supreme Court decision granting gay marriage constitutional protections.  Unfortunately, the general disposition of many advocates has surfaced with vulgarity, crass public display, and vitriolic hatred toward religion.

Father Morris, a frequent guest on media punditry shows, was spit upon in New York:

Pastor Joel Osteen in Texas was heckled throughout his Sunday sermon: (more…)

The White House Tonight:

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SCOTUS – Justice Kennedy begins his opinion for the Court with a paean to the institution of marriage:  he describes it as “essential to our most profound hopes and aspirations,” “sacred to those who live by their religions” and offering “unique fulfillment to those who find meaning in the secular realm.”

But it is also, he continues, an institution that “has evolved over time” from an “arrangement by the couple’s parents” to a voluntary agreement between a man and a woman.  Similarly, although being gay was once considered an “illness,” public attitudes have shifted significantly.

The Supreme Court, Kennedy’s opinion explains, has long recognized the right to marry as a fundamental right.  And although until today it has always done so in the context of opposite-sex couples, he continues, all of the same principles on which the Court has relied in cases involving opposite-sex couples apply equally to same-sex marriage and the recognition of out-of-state same-sex marriages.  (more…)

Reminder: There are 7 decision announcements still anticipated including: King v. Burwell, in which the court must decide whether the 6.4 million people getting subsidies on the federal exchange to buy ObamaCare will be able to continue doing so; and Obergefell v. Hodges, where the court is being asked to decide whether bans on same-sex marriage are constitutional and whether states must recognize same-sex marriages performed legally in other states.  The Texas Housing v Inclusive Communities “disparate impact” decision is also possible.

We can anticipate one or more decisions today and tomorrow. SCOTUS BLOG HERE They will live blog decisions beginning at 9:00am Eastern.

*Note – I’ll be off line until early afternoon, but use comment section if something breaks. The next 48 hours should be interesting to say the least.

Mark Steyn

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