Hypnochrists on Parade in Maryland

The Old Line State may have a name that sounds like "merry" but it's not going to be much more gay any time soon. Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich waited until Friday evening (always the best time to release bad news) to veto a gay rights bill which would grant certain limited rights and benefits to gay partners who registered for them.

Maryland Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. vetoed a bill yesterday that would have granted rights to gay partners who register with the state, concluding after weeks of intense deliberations that the legislation threatened "the sanctity of traditional marriage."

The emotionally charged bill was among 24 that Ehrlich (R) rejected yesterday afternoon, including legislation to raise the state's minimum wage by $1, allow early voting in elections and heighten oversight of the state's troubled juvenile justice system. Another measure sought by gay rights activists that would have extended a property transfer tax exemption to domestic partners was also scuttled.

Let's see here...

• Deny rights to gays. check.
• Screw over the working poor. check.
• Deny smoother, easier voting. check.

Yes, folks. We've got ourselves a hypnochrist™ perched right there in the highest office of the allegedly blue stateof Maryland. Excuse me, people, but... how do you keep voting for this man?

Ehrlich's decision to side, almost without exception, with business interests and social conservatives surprised some analysts, who thought he might try to burnish his credentials as a moderate by allowing some of the session's more controversial bills to become law.

Most of the legislation vetoed yesterday had been strongly opposed by Republican lawmakers. But Ehrlich's appeal to swing voters was key to his 2002 election in a state where registered Democrats still hold a nearly 2-to-1 advantage.

A two to one advantage, and yet you voted this guy into office. You picked a theocratic, neocon supporter to be your governor. And now some of you have the unmitigated balls to act surprised when he sided with "business interests and social conservatives" when it came time to put ink to paper?

As ye sow, so shall ye reap. You voted for a bible thumper, so you might want to read up on that section again. You're reaping now, baby, and you're getting exactly what you asked for.

Update (By Ron)
More on Ehrlich above.