DIVORCE COURT
March 30, 2006
In a ruling sure to outrage Massachusetts liberals, the state Supreme Judicial Court, which ordered the commencement of same-sex marriage in November 2003, ruled today that out-of-state gay and lesbian couples cannot get married in Massachusetts if their native states do not recognize same-sex matrimony.
For the Bay State, the political ramifications of this ruling are substantial. Attorney General Tom Reilly, the state Democratic Party’s leading gubernatorial candidate, supported a 1913 law forbidding the marriage of any couple whose union would not be legally recognized in their native state, much to the chagrin of gay activists and the far left. That law was upheld by the SJC today.
Reilly’s decision to back this law is likely to come back to haunt him, especially as he battles far-left sex symbol Deval Patrick, a staunch gay-marriage backer. Reilly’s endorsement of a law that gay activists and the far left consider discriminatory–and the law’s subsequent validation by the SJC–will in all likelihood trigger a backlash that may finally start to see his inexplicably strong poll numbers come down.
Although venture capitalist Chris Gabrieli is making plans to enter the race on the Democratic side, a backlash against Reilly will redound to Patrick’s benefit (unless left-wingers make explicitly racial calculations about the African-American Patrick’s chances for success in the November election against Republican Kerry Healey and so-called independent Christy Mihos). If Reilly attempts to flip-flop on his previous support of the 1913 law, such indecisiveness will leave him even more vulnerable to being destroyed by Patrick.
Reilly’s strength in the polls was always built on a house of cards.
This ruling is likely to bring down the house.
UPDATE: As expected, Patrick condemns the ruling. More from the Herald.
SECOND UPDATE: Jon Keller on the ruling.
THIRD UPDATE: More from the Washington Times, Globe and Herald.
FOURTH UPDATE: Meanwhile, Chris Gabrieli makes it official.
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