FBI Director James Comey illustrated America’s racially biased policing with a reference to showtunes — we eagerly await his forthcoming address on America’s unending drug war that will a feature a fez-wearing bear on a tiny bicycle. The next Democratic convention will be held in Philadelphia, meaning the scene on the Northeast Regional is going to be absolutely insufferable the week of July 25th, 2016. And people reacted with disgust when the most photographed man on the planet took a picture of himself with a stick. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Thursday, February 12th, 2015:
JUDGE TELLS ALABAMA TO STOP BEING SO ALABAMA – Amanda Terkel: “A federal judge ordered county officials in Alabama to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples Thursday, saying they can no longer ignore her earlier ruling that struck down the state’s marriage equality ban as unconstitutional. Alabama’s same-sex marriage ban began crumbling in January, when U.S. District Judge Callie Granade found it unconstitutional. At the request of the state attorney general, Granade put a two-week stay on her ruling so the state could ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene and delay it even longer. On Monday morning, the Supreme Court declined to get involved, and Alabama became the 37th state with marriage equality. Despite the ruling, dozens of probate judges around the state have refused to comply with Granade’s ruling. According to the Human Rights Campaign, as of Thursday afternoon, only 23 of the state’s 67 counties were issuing marriage licenses to all couples.” [HuffPost]
SENATE DOES THING ALMOST UNANIMOUSLY – And it wasn’t naming a post office the “Support Our Troops Jesus Christ Dorito Loco Postal Center.” Reuters: “The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to confirm Ashton Carter as President Barack Obama’s next secretary of defense. Carter, 60, who was approved in a 93-5 vote, served as deputy defense secretary, the Pentagon’s No. 2 position, from 2011 to 2013. He was also the Defense Department’s chief weapons buyer from 2009 to 2011 when he led a major restructuring of the F-35 fighter jet program. At his confirmation hearing on Feb. 4, Carter underscored his determination to boost the U.S. defense budget, drive down the cost of new weapons and make sure new technologies are delivered to troops quicker.” [Reuters]
You Do You, Optics Edition: “Republican leaders will hold a signing ceremony on Friday for legislation authorizing the Keystone XL pipeline. The event is intended to highlight the Republican Congress’s passage of Keystone, a project proponents say would help the economy. Senate Republicans made the bill their first piece of business after taking control of the chamber.” [The Hill]
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@jbendery: On the Senate floor right now: “I want to tell you about flatworms for a second.” — Sen. Murphy
@KimBhasin: I chuckle every time I see the URL for the Sydney Morning Herald.
@igorbobic: #richforever RT @aseitzwald: Biden on running late: “The plane won’t leave until I get there.”
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