New Hampshire and Maine moving closer to gay marriage

And both, like neighbor Vermont, will do it via the legislative route, if things keep going forward.

The New Hampshire bill, just passed by the state Senate, throws a sop to the Religious Right by distinguishing between civil and religious marriages. The state House has already passed a similar bill, but without the marriage distinction, so this will have to go to conference committee.

In Maine, a bicameral judiciary committee has given its okey-dokey to a gay-marriage bill.

Now, are Congressional Dems getting the stones up to resist the GOP-Religious Right anti-gay marriage amendment firestorm that's coming?

And, for that matter, are Obama and Biden ready to change THEIR tunes about gay marriage vs. civil unions if two more states OK gay marriage via the legislative route? Because that will be the bottom line.

Oh, and what if married gay ppl want in the military? DADT is going to be under yet more pressure, too.

Beyond that, given that many surveys show sexual orientation diversity is good for metropolitan development, a quality white-collar workforce and more, seems like New England states may be engaging in a little economic recovery.