I’M WITH JONAH

Couldn’t agree more with Jonah Goldberg’s thoughtful column on NRO today. I guess I should say so clearly: I have no problem with one state deciding not to recognize the legal marriages of another. The genius of federalism, after all, is that it allows for a compromise where some states, like Massachusetts, Vermont or New Jersey, can have equal marriage rights and other states, such as Alabama, Arkansas or Colorado, can retain the heterosexual privilege. What better way to figure out exactly what same-sex marriage means? My own preference is to avoid a divisive, emotional and deeply polarizing show-down over national marriage rights in favor of a gradual federalist development. The only issue here is what the federal government should do. If DOMA turns out to be unconstitutional, why can’t the feds simply recognize any marriages that are valid in a single state, as long as the spouses are residents of the state? Bottom line, Jonah: If that’s the compromise, count me in. But the religious right won’t compromise. If they had already, they wouldn’t be in such a precarious position.