job qualifications

So MA Gov. Deval Patrick Only Picked Picked His Supreme Court Nominee Because She’s A Lesbian, Ey?

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While all of us were thrilled that Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick had nominated Barbara Lenk, a married lesbian, to the State Supreme Court (she will become the Court’s first openly gay member if confirmed), he doesn’t have everyone feeling all lavender and sunshine over such a historic nomination. You know, because Patrick is too focused on Lenk’s gayness.

Mary-Ellen Manning, who sat on the Governor’s Council that helped select a nominee, says Patrick was overly concerned about Lenk’s sexual orientation. Jennie Cassie described Patrick’s remarks about Lenk’s lesbian ways as “odd,” and had a problem with Lenk’s feelings about Goodridge v. Dept. of Public Health, the 2003 case that gave Massachusetts gays — including Lenk, OMG! — same-sex marriage. (This stupid argument be thrown out for the same reason it could when Vaughn Walker, a gay man, decided the Prop 8 case.)

Fortunately, Patrick isn’t giving in to this nonsense. Lenk is “more than qualified, and I think the fact that she’s going to be the first openly gay member of the court is an add-on,” he told reporters.

Patrick bristled at the suggestion by one member of the council that the governor had nominated Lenk as a way to cater to groups that have backed him politically. Patrick was responding to comments by Councilor Charles Cipollini of Fall River, who said the governor was trying to satisfy political supporters, including the gay community, by choosing Lenk. “He just picks different groups, and this happens to be their turn,’’ Cipollini said Wednesday. “He’s satisfying the people who voted for him.’’

At a press conference [last] Monday, during which he announced that he was nominating Lenk, Patrick said it was “a nice coincidence’’ that she would be the court’s first openly gay member. Although Patrick did not mention Lenk’s sexual orientation when he introduced her at the news conference, he did respond when asked about it by reporters. “I like the idea of firsts, as you know, and I’m proud of this one,’’ Patrick said Monday. Patrick has also nominated the court’s first black chief justice, Roderick Ireland, and the first Asian-American member, Fernande Duffly.

Yeah, let’s get angry because the governor supports diversity on the state’s highest court. That has to be a bad thing, right wise Latinas?

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