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Jindal runs out of options on marriage rights

No Republican governors liked the Supreme Court's ruling on marriage equality, but none threw the kind of tantrum Bobby Jindal did in Louisiana.
Republican Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal speaks at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's forum in Waukee, Iowa, April 25, 2015. (Photo by Jim Young/Reuters)
Republican Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal speaks at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's forum in Waukee, Iowa, April 25, 2015.
No one seriously expected Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) to celebrate the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality. On the contrary, the far-right governor, eager to impress conservatives as he hits the presidential campaign trail, was expected to complain bitterly about the civil-rights breakthrough.
 
But watching the lengths Jindal has gone to while resisting the ruling has been pretty remarkable.
 
As of late last week, Jindal said he understood what the high court had ruled, but he wasn't prepared to allow Louisiana to officially recognize same-sex marriages. As recently as yesterday afternoon, the Republican governor still didn't want to honor the law.
 
It took a while, but it seems the Jindal administration has officially, literally run out of options. TPM reported this afternoon:

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) said he would wait for a third and final federal court ruling declaring bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional before recognizing gay marriages in the state, and Thursday morning a district judge gave him just that. Thursday, federal District Judge Martin Feldman reversed his previous ruling upholding the state's gay marriage ban, as reported by The Times-Picuyane.... The order was a procedural motion to address the litigation specific to Louisiana in light of the Supreme Court's gay marriage decision, which effectively legalized same-sex marriage nationwide Friday.

So, looking back over the last couple of weeks, Jindal effectively said, "Let's wait to see what the Supreme Court says." Once the justices endorsed marriage equality, the governor effectively responded, "Well, let's wait to see what the 5th Circuit says."
 
And once the appeals court agreed with the Supreme Court, Jindal was left with, "Well, let's wait to see what the district court says."
 
There are no other courts. There are no more appeals. Jindal will be able to boast to GOP primary voters and caucus goers about resisting as long as he could, but marriage equality now applies to the whole country, including Louisiana, whether the governor likes it or not.
 
For what it's worth, let's not forget that Jindal's broader reaction to the ruling hasn't been especially constructive. MSNBC's Adam Howard reported last weekend:

The Louisiana Republican, who launched a longshot bid for the presidency last week, suggested that the 5-4 ruling, which made same-sex marriage legal throughout the nation, was cause for disbanding the entire Supreme Court. "The Supreme Court is completely out of control, making laws on their own, and has become a public opinion poll instead of a judicial body," Jindal said in a statement on Friday. "If we want to save some money, let's just get rid of the court."

Republicans routinely like to argue that President Obama has a radical, lawless vision of governing. He's never suggested, in print or anywhere else, the possible elimination of the Supreme Court itself.