Free Republic

Massachusetts, the first state to legalize gay marriage, yesterday became the first to challenge the constitutionality of a federal law that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman, contending that Congress intruded into a matter that should be left to states. The suit filed by state Attorney General Martha Coakley says the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 violates the US Constitution by interfering with the state’s right to define the marital status of residents. The suit also says the law forces the state to discriminate against same-sex married couples - on certain health benefits and...

Martha Coakley, Democratic candidate for Senate in Massachusetts, will fit right into the Senate culture in Washington, D.C., as witnessed by her recent award of $1.5 million to community groups in Massachusetts: Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office has awarded nearly $1.5 million in grants aimed at promoting health and wellness in some of Massachusetts’ most at-risk communities by creating jobs for low-income teens that promote increased physical activity. Through the office’s Project YES Initiative, the grants were awarded to active youth programs for the purpose of battling both high teen unemployment rates and the physical inactivity that is a major...