The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples are entitled to the same rights, benefits, and obligations as heterosexual couples, and the Far Right went ballistic. Literally. Just read this quote from Matt Daniels of the Alliance for Marriage: "They are holding a gun to the head of the legislature of New Jersey and saying pick between two bullets -- one that allows civil unions and one that allows marriage."

This is the extreme rhetoric of a sinking ship. Two people of the same-sex are in love and want to protect their relationship and their children from discrimination, and our enemies compare this to murder.

The truth is that the New Jersey decision is perfectly in line with the will of the people of New Jersey. The state has a long tradition of being inclusive and fair-minded. It has a civil rights law barring discrimination based on sexual orientation and it has a strong hate crimes law. The legislature had already approved a statewide domestic partnership law with little to no opposition. And, recent polling data also shows that 50% of New Jerseyans support marriage equality and, by a margin of 2 to 1, they support some sort of relationship recognition such as civil unions. Read more...

1. ABC News has reported the winner of the World’s Fastest BlackBerry type-off. ABC had reported on my writing of the book "The Dancer's Dead" on the BlackBerry, during the campaign. My opponent in the "type-off" was the political editor for ABC News, claiming the fastest pair of thumbs at ABC. He said, prior to the contest, “New York City pride is on the line, and I don’t intend to lose. Read more...

The ruling of the New Jersey Supreme Court awarded the proponents of same-sex marriage everything but the name "marriage" itself. Ordering the legislature to choose what name to assign the relationship was not an exercise of judicial restraint, as the court claimed, but instead evidence of its overreaching.

In holding that same-sex lovers are similarly situated to heterosexual married couples, the court exceeded the bounds of its authority to merely declare what the law is and entered the realm of policy-making. It thus violated the separation of powers by encroaching upon the authority of the legislature. The decision underscores the need both for the federal marriage protection amendment and for legislative measures to rein in the judicial branch. Rule by the judiciary is inconsistent with the fundamental principles of the American legal system.

As a 26 1/2 year veteran of the United States Border Patrol and a Member of Congress representing a border district, I am astounded that the President and the Republican leadership stood today before the American people with their 'signature achievement' on homeland security, declaring that our nation would be safer because the President had signed a bill to construct 700 miles of fence on the 2,000-mile US/Mexico border.

The Republican House leadership spent the entire month of August holding media events and hearings on the border, and the message from those who work on the border every day is that we don't need 700 miles of new fence.  We need a comprehensive plan that addresses the three main priorities of the Border Patrol: manpower, technology, and infrastructure.

I am also deeply disturbed by Speaker Hastert's continued attacks on the Democratic record on border security and his false claim that Leader Pelosi has never visited the border. Read more...

When asked about the controversial Kelo v. New London Supreme Court decision Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Fran) stated that she would do nothing to challenge the decision because when a court speaks it "is almost as if God has spoken." While Representative Pelosi might give deistic powers to the courts, jurists are actually mere mortals, and as in the case of New Jersey, subject to getting things horribly wrong. Within the New Jersey Supreme Court's decision is the statement: "The State does not argue that limiting marriage to the union of a man and a woman is needed to encourage procreation or to create the optimal living environment for children." These arguments were the basis of our friend of the court brief and precisely the arguments that were successful in New York and Washington. That New Jersey did not even offer them suggests to me that the Attorney General or whoever argued the case for the State failed miserably in his duties. Read more...

We're a nation at war against an enemy who has vowed to exploit every weakness we have.

It is a shame that a majority of Democrats opposed the construction of a border fence. House Republicans, however, remain committed to strengthening our border, stemming the tide of illegal immigration, and protecting the American people.

We can all agree that our nation's immigration system is fundamentally flawed. Yet it is Republicans who believe that securing the border must be our first priority to keep our homeland safe. Nancy Pelosi and a majority of House Democrats have rejected attempts to secure the border first and have supported amnesty for illegal aliens.

Republicans have a record of results on border security. Without Republican leadership in Congress, the president wouldn't have the Secure Fence Act to sign into law today, and the National Guard wouldn't have the funds they are currently using to construct additional fencing along the border. This new law reinforces our border, keeping our homeland safe -- because border security is national security.

Like most Americans, I was appalled by Rush Limbaugh's heartless attack on Michael J. Fox.  Attacking someone suffering from Parkinson's disease is a new low, even for Rush Limbaugh.

Anyone who has ever had a family member who has suffered from this tragic disease knows that Michael J. Fox was not faking.  Parkinson's is a severely debilitating disease that robs it's victims of their motor functions.  Embryonic stem cell research could hold the key to curing this and other life threatening diseases.  Michael J. Fox should be applauded for speaking out on this important and life saving research not ridiculed by the likes of Rush Limbaugh.

Rush Limbaugh should start his show today by begging the forgiveness of Michael J. Fox and the millions of Americans and their families who suffer with this disease every day.

Last week, all six of Michigan's Democratic U.S. Representatives wrote National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President John Engler.  We asked a simple question: Why are you putting your Republican agenda ahead of the American manufacturers you say you represent?

On September 28, NAM's Board of Directors decided to withhold its support of H.R. 1498, a bill that would have expanded the ability of domestic manufacturers to take action against China due to currency manipulation. The board's decision contradicted the recommendation of the group's economic policy committee and has since created a wide rift in the trade group as member companies have publicly questioned Engler's decision to refuse to stand up for a top priority of many domestic manufacturers.

NAM has previously acknowledged undervaluation of the Chinese yuan and its effects on American manufacturing, but refuses to call for meaningful action from the Bush Administration or Congress. Read more...

This past Sunday I attended a debate in Olympia at Sylvester Park. I debated an anti-war write in candidate on the issue of Iraq. Reportedly, the “WAR