Give in on same-sex benefits, judge orders feds

[Newsjock]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

The chief federal appeals court judge in San Francisco bluntly ordered the Obama administration Thursday to stop resisting his finding that the wife of a lesbian court employee was entitled to government insurance coverage.

The federal agency that oversees benefits for government employees "shall cease at once its interference with the jurisdiction of this tribunal," Judge Alex Kozinski said in response to the Office of Personnel Management's rejection of his earlier ruling in the case.

He told the agency to let Karen Golinski, a staff attorney at the court's headquarters in San Francisco, enroll her wife, Amy Cunninghis, in the family health plan that already covers their 6-year-old son.

... Kozinski, who hears cases involving court staff, was appointed to the bench by President Ronald Reagan in 1985 and became chief judge by seniority in November 2007.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/11/19/BADV1ANFSR.DTL&tsp=1

[tomm2thumbs]

1. isn't it great when Republican appointees follow the law - and it is on our side

especially when it is a Reagan appointee - just goes to show you

[naaman fletcher]

3. not just a Reagan appointee..

Kozinski is one of the "star" Judicial appointments of the Reagan era. He was many times favored by right-wing groups as a supreme court nominee, but has always been thought to be too controversial.

For what it's worth, he's known as brilliant, and also honest, as this case shows. But of course his judicial philosophy i mostly disagree with, as would most at DU.

[gaspee]

2. Kind of funny

When a Reagan appointee has to force the Obama administration to do the right thing when it comes to our relationships. Sigh.

[moonbatmax]

4. I've been wondering for awhile...

whether the Obama administration doesn't take some of these positions in order to force a decision on the underlying issues?

Whereas a previous administration might have backed down on credible challenges to a policy while maintaining the right to exercise it in other cases, I suspect this one hopes to eliminate the "chilling effect" of some controversial policies by getting them settled in court. That should, one hopes, make it more difficult for a future administration to reinstate those same policies.

Of course, I'm really just speculating. Wildly.

[LeftyMom]

5. No way.

Obama's either outright said he doesn't support LGBT equality (marriage) or sat on his hands and refused to raise a finger to promote it (DADT.) He surrounded himself with raging homophobes in the primary and even the inaugural.

Trying to give him credit for loving Teh Gays based on his underlings fighting against their rights ineffectively is just too fucking much. Really.