RENWL

Tani Cantil-Sakauye, the first nonwhite nominee for California chief justice...whatta smile;)

Now this is odd. After we read this story we lurked around the blogosphere checking to see if anyone else had reported on it. Nada. Hmmm. Maybe the Gay Mafia Press doesn’t think this is big news. While we admit we’re not about to go dancing in the streets and beating our breasts over it, nonetheless we find this little tidbit about Schwarzenegger’s Supreme Court pick rather encouraging.

According to the LA Times (LAT), Appellate Court Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye who is Schwarzenegger’s choice to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Ron George married a same-sex couple in 2008.

In an interview on Sunday with LAT, here’s how it all came out:

She resolutely refused to state her position on same-sex marriage, saying only that she married a gay couple — “acquaintances” — during the six months in 2008 when such marriages were legal, and that she would follow precedent.

“I perform hundreds of weddings, and they included one same-sex marriage,” she said. Cantil-Sakauye said she did not hesitate to marry the couple, whom she declined to describe, “because it was the law.”

So okay. Big deal, she performed A gay marriage. That doesn’t indicate she supports gay marriage, right?

We’re willing to say it’s a very good indication that she supports gay marriage.  And this is what’s got the Prop 8trs all tripped out.  Jon Fleischman, California’s Republican  state party vice chair who also blogs over at Flash Report,  has got his panties all bunched up about Cantil-Sayauye’s one gay marriage.   And like he bemoans in his post about the good judge: A judge cannot be compelled to conduct a wedding ceremony.

In other words, they have the right to decline to officiate any marriage ceremony requesting their services.  So we think one can more than reasonably assume by Cantil-Sakauye’s performing the one ceremony that she certainly does not have an objection to gay marriage, or she simply would have declined to do so, as dear Jon also underscores in his post.

To add more insult to Republican injury, according to LAT, Cantil-Sakauye is expected to be easily confirmed by a three-member state commission and to be on the ballot in November.

If approved, she would become the first racial minority — she is Philippine American — and the second woman to serve as chief. Rose Elizabeth Bird served as chief justice from 1977 through 1984. She would also make the Supreme Court be made up by a majority of women.

We’re certain there’s gonna be more Repub drama around this nomination. So stay tuned. And good work Schwarzie. Ya did good.

Los Angeles Times: Chief justice nominee avoids hot-button issues

Flash Report: Chief Justice Nominee’s Officiating A Gay Marriage Speaks Volumes

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