The book is a fascinating read — even just a few dozen pages into it.

Sorensen authored some of the most beautifully written speeches delivered by President Kennedy, and even penned an incredible speech for the nominee to accept the nomination of the Democratic Party this summer. It, too, was beautifully written, as was the then-Senator Kennedy’s nomination acceptance speech delivered forty-seven years prior on July 15, 1960 in Los Angeles, California.

Listen:

It turns out that the Nebraska-native Sorensen, who was such a trusted aide and close confidante of the President that he routinely called him his “intellectual blood bank,” recently turned 80 on May 8.

“The California Constitution properly must be interpreted to guarantee this basic civil right to all Californians, whether gay or heterosexual, and to same-sex couples as well as to opposite-sex couples,” Chief Justice Ronald George wrote in the majority opinion.

Allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry “will not deprive opposite-sex couples of any rights and will not alter the legal framework of the institution of marriage,” George said.

According to the Chronicle, marriages could commence as quickly as 30 days.

City officials say they’ll probably be unable to marry the same-sex couples for another 30 days when the decision fully goes into effect. But they’re making appointments for those weddings now.

The landmark decision is a huge victory for marriage equality activists and the fight against discrimination of all kinds. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-California) immediately issued a statement vowing that he would uphold the court’s ruling and that he would not support an amendment to overturn it. Conservatives in the state collected over 1.1 million signatures to have the amendment placed on the November ballot. The initiative only needs roughly 694,354 but Secretary of State Debra Bowen has yet to rule.

Brian Leubitz is compiling the reactions of local elected leaders on the ruling.

The case was spurred by the weddings overseen by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom on the steps of City Hall in February and March 2004. Those marriages were later voided by the California State Supreme Court in August 2004.

Gay marriage became a hot-button, national issue in the 2004 presidential election between President Bush, then-seeking a second term, and Senator John Kerry (D-Massachusetts). Soon after Kerry’s defeat in November, some suggested Mayor Newsom’s actions contributed to Bush’s win due to the large mobilization of religious conservatives on the issue.

President Bush carried the First Congressional District of Mississippi with 62 percent of the vote. Childers won the seat by eight points, 54-46.

It is important to note that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) dropped roughly $1.3 million of their $7 million cash on hand in an eight point drubbing in an R+10 district. NRCC Chair Rep. Tom Cole (R-Moore, Okla.) did not even try to spin the crushing defeat. It is simply stunning and goes to show the Everest that Republican candidates face in November.

The defeat leaves Republicans with less than 200 seats in the House — 199.

Swing State Project asked readers to draft the NRCC press release and outlined just how big of a victory the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and Rep.-elect Childers secured for Democrats.

A number of conservative bloggers are avoiding the Mississippi special election run-off altogether but a few chimed in with their takes.

Pejman Yousefzadeh, Red State:

Meanwhile, it isn’t as if Republicans don’t have problems. There is no denying it anymore–if it could even be denied in the run-up to tonight; Republicans have serious problems with the brand identity. Yes, I know that there are six months left until the election but what else needs to occur for the GOP to realize that it has a very serious problem on its hands? There have been any number of indications concerning a Republican image problem and nothing has been done to ameliorate matters. Either Republican leaders get on the ball very quickly, or the GOP is headed for yet another round of epic Congressional losses.

Hot Air:

And so the only election that mattered tonight, the bellwether of this fall’s congressional races, goes the wrong way. I’m going to go find some glue to huff. Talk amongst yourselves.

Earlier today, A.J. Sparxx wrote at PoliPundit:

Even though a win is a win, this win doesn’t necessary mean the bleeding has stopped for the GOP as we move towards the 2008 elections, but a loss of this seat, piggybacked to the previous 2 losses over the last 2 weeks, certainly sends out red flags that a storm is coming.

Those objects you see moving in the distance, Republicans, are red flags.

The image of Chuck Todd as a mediator and straight-shooter, however, goes way back:

He is accustomed to the role. During his boyhood in Miami, Todd recalls, his conservative father and a liberal cousin often got sloshed and argued about politics.

In the New York Times article, the network acknowledged that current Tonight Show host Jay Leno will likely depart NBC in 2010. Also in the article is the fact that Jay Leno is getting ripped off:

The show will add an executive producer soon and a writing staff. Then Mr. Fallon will tape some tryout shows, Mr. Michaels said. Mr. Fallon said: “I talked to Jay Leno. He said, ‘Just give them content. Get good writers. All my money is going to writers.’” [emphasis added]

Oxfam warned yesterday that 1.5 million people could die needlessly in Burma as the first outbreaks of disease were reported in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, and many of the worst-hit areas went an eighth day without aid.

International agencies called on the country’s secretive military junta to allow immediate access to those stranded without food, clean water and medicines. Cholera, typhoid and malaria could take hold within days as lack of food and shelter weakened the resistance of survivors. More than 100,000 people are believed to have died in the 130mph winds and storm surges that hit the country last weekend.

“Supplies will run out unless more aid is allowed into the country,” said Christian Aid’s Burma expert, Ray Hasan. “Partners are telling us that there are outbreaks of disease already. There is no time to lose.” The UN World Food Programme said it had never seen such delays in dealing with a modern humanitarian crisis and described the official response as “unprecedented”.