A federal appeals court ruled that California’s ban on same-sex marriage. It became the first in the United States to conclude that a state has no convincing legal or social justification to deny gay and lesbian couples the right to wed.

The ruling brings the issue closer to the US Supreme Court. The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals declared that the voter-approved Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. But the 2-1 ruling has revealed a split in judicial philosophy over a state’s ability to prevent same sex marriage. This could be the preview of what’s to come in the Supreme Court.

Proposition 8 supporters said that they plan to appeal the ruling. The appeals court ruling upheld that of former San Francisco Chief US District Judge Vaughn Walker, who also struck down Proposition 8 in 2010. Gay rights advocates celebrated after the announcement of the ruling. Conservatives criticized it. Legal observers said that it would face equal support when gay marriage issue reaches the Supreme Court.

Proposition 8 supporters can ask the 9th Circuit to reopen the case with an 11-judge panel or go to the Supreme Court. It would take a long time before a final ruling will be reached. Legal observers say that it would stretch until next year.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich announced that he would go all the way to the Republican National Convention no matter what happens on Tuesday, when GOP voters in Florida select who they want to run against President Barack Obama in November. He added that he expects to win the nomination in the convention.

His future plan was made public in a rally in Florida when a reporter asked about his campaign’s plans if he loses to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. He said to the reporter that he should direct the question to Romney, because the former governor is behind in both national polls.

Romney has surged in Florida after losing by a huge margin in South Carolina last January 21. The two leading Republican candidates are campaigning hard to convince GOP voters. Romney looked confident after two strong debates this week. Romney got a 9 point lead over Gingrich in the recent polls.

But the numbers could change and this is why the candidates are spending millions of dollars on ads. One of the most debated topics is the immigration issue. Romney said that 11 million illegal immigrants in the country should be deported and get in line for those waiting to come to the United States legally.

Mitt Romney was questioned about the states’ right to ban contraception during the GOP debate held in Manchester. The Republican presidential replied that he had no idea why he was asked the question. George Stephanopoulos asked Romney if he believes that the states have constitutional right to privacy even if the US Supreme Court ruled in two landmark cases that they don’t have the right to ban contraception.

Rick Santorum has brought up 1965’s Griswold vs. Connecticut landmark case during his campaign in New Hampshire. He believed that the Supreme Court was wrong in its decided on the two landmark cases because the Constitution didn’t have a privacy right.

Romney seemed annoyed by the persistence of the questioning and at the same time gave out the idea that he didn’t know anything about issue. He asked whether the Supreme Court has decided that states do not have the right to ban contraception.

Stephanopoulos said that it did in 1965 Griswold vs. Connecticut. Romney then lectured about how Americans have the right to amend the Constitution and he would want to amend it to ban same-sex marriage. With regards to contraception, he said that it is fine and should be left alone.

Rick Santorum will employ the same game plan that conservative Mike Huckabee used in the 2008 campaign to win the Iowa caucuses, which is the first step for the Republican presidential nomination. The former US senator from Pennsylvania is known for his opposition to abortion, questions the teaching of evolution in schools, and criticizes homosexuality.

Santorum will aim for the votes of Iowa’s social conservatives. He has already visited all 99 of the state’s counties and wooed the leading religious groups. He has campaigned all throughout the day in diners, community centers, and town halls. This type of personal contact has been successful in attracting Iowa voters in the past.

Santorum has made Iowa his home state and virtually moved there. But so far, his strategy is not working for him. He is still in fourth place among the Republicans according to the Iowa polls, with his support only in single digits.

The conservative Republicans have been searching for an alternative to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. They have a short list of conservative candidates that have topped conservative polls but Santorum has not been one of them.

Santorum focused on the traditional, door-to-door campaign instead of frequent appearances on cable TV shows and debates that fueled the campaigns of his rivals Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

New Hampshire’s Keene Sentinel endorsed Jon Huntsman as its candidate for the Republican nomination for president. The paper published a special editorial last Sunday stating that the former Utah governor and ambassador should be supported by Republicans and independents who would vote in the primary on January 10.

The Keene Sentinel was established in 1799 and its Sunday edition has a readership of 34,000 from 12,000 households. It said that Jon Huntsman possesses most of the basic attributes voters look for in their political leaders, which include intelligence, self-assurance, personal integrity, imagination, independence, a listening ear, and competency.

According to the editorial, Huntsman has the boldness in economic policy that contradicts his temperate personal demeanor. It believes that the nation’s gap could not be closed by going in one direction. It cited Huntsman’s experiences in international affairs, which included his involvement in China. His hands-on experience is a cut above everyone on the Republican presidential primary ballot.

Huntsman is said to be a conservative and at the same time shows a constructive capacity for nuance and flexibility. He refuses to go into deals that would commit him in an absolutist policy.

Editorial endorsements, such as this one from the Keene Sentinel, can influence the voters in the state whose early primary can create momentum for a presidential candidate. New Hampshire’s largest newspaper, The Union Leader, has endorsed Newt Gingrich.

The Supreme Court agreed to hear three major cases that could determine the outcome of next year’s elections. The court announced that it would come out with a ruling regarding Arizona’s anti-immigration measures.

The case would join the docket that includes challenges to President Obama’s health care reform law and the how Texas conduct its elections. The court agreed to hear the Texas case and it could cause four seats in the United States House of Representatives.

Arizona enacted its immigration law last year and the White House immediately challenged four parts of the law, which it said didn’t work with federal laws and regulations. The provisions that were challenged include the requirement that state law enforcement officials determine the immigration status of a person they arrest if officials have reason to believe that the individual could be an illegal immigrant. According to the provision, the person’s immigration status must first be determined before he could be released.

It would also be a crime for immigrants to fail to register and for illegal immigrants to try to find work. Police could arrest people without warrants if they have probable cause to believe that people have done things that can make then deportable under federal law.

According to a settlement it is negotiating with the United States Federal Trade Commission, users would have to opt-in to its sharing privacy settings instead of opting out of it. That means that by default, users would not share any content submitted in the social network with anyone. They need to check an option first in order to share contents to the public.

Facebook will also be required to submit privacy audits for a period of twenty years, which is similar to the deal made by Google when the search giant was investigated by the FTC last March. Once the FTC approves the settlement, Facebook have to get the consent of its 800 million users before it could change its privacy settings.

The settlement came from an FTC probe made in December 2009. People were complaining that Facebook made changes in its privacy settings where personal information such as profile photos was shown to the public.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his top executive Sheryl Sandberg discussed privacy during an hour-long interview with Charlie Rose that was aired on PBS earlier this week. They insisted that the social network values user privacy more than anything else. Zuckerberg said that people voluntarily gave their personal information on Facebook, unlike other companies that collect data behind people’s back.

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Ohio voters turned down a law that was supported by Republican Governor John Kasich, which would place a limit on the bargaining for firefighters, police, and other state workers. That was a way for the local governments in the state to decrease their budget deficits.

Democrats praised the result of the elections and they would use it to energize the union voters to support President Barack Obama’s reelection attempt next year. According to Vice President Joe Biden, fundamental fairness prevailed as Ohio stood with the state workers and sent a clear message that would be heard across the nation. He added that the middle class doesn’t want to be trampled on anymore.

It goes to show that the administration was closely watching the results in Ohio. The union-limiting law was defeated by 60 percent of the votes. Ohio is one of the states that swing between supporting Democrats and Republicans. Getting its support could determine the winner of the presidential election.

The Ohio union victory gives Obama’s supporters the momentum in the state before the 2012 election. The result was a admonition to Ohio’s governor and other officials who were elected in 2010 during a backlash to Obama and other Democrats.

Governor Rick Perry of Texas gave out his proposals last Friday that resembles a wish list for the gas and oil industry. He promises new drilling across the United States, which includes ones in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He also proposed the decrease of environmental regulations and the dismantling of the Environmental Protection Agency.

He stated his plans in a speech made at the United States Steel plant. He said that he would free the US from its dependence on foreign energy and create at least 1.2 million jobs. Critics said that the proposals would not progress into completion and they said that Perry’s plan could endanger drinking water supplies.

Governor Perry’s popularity is dropping according to the recent polls. He wants to shift his campaign towards the energy issue to amend his lackluster performance in debates. The issue is a subject he is comfortable with and it would improve his credibility among donors and voters.

Perry’s energy plan has four parts. He would use executive decrees to allow new or additional drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, Alaska, and federal lands in the West. He would roll back or decrease environmental regulations. He also wants to dismantle the EPA and replace it with a scaled down agency. Lastly, he wants to increase subsidies and tax credits for different parts of the energy industry.

Mitt Romney is now the leading Republican presidential nominee and he said that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie would be part of his short list of possible running mates. That is, if he manages to win the Republican presidential nomination.

The former Massachusetts governor won Christie’s endorsement and together they appeared for an interview with NBC’s Today Show. They said that they are great friends. According to Romney, they both agree on a number of issues.

Christie is a popular Republican figure who a lot of party members hoped would run for the presidential nomination. He withdrew from the consideration last week and endorsed Romney as his presidential bet to run against President Obama in 2012.

Christie is known for being a conservative and endorsing Romney could bring more supporters to the former Massachusetts governor’s side. He said that he endorsed Romney without receiving any promises from the presidential hopeful. Romney recently got back his Republican front-runner status from Texas Governor Rick Perry.

Christie said that he doesn’t see himself as a good running mate because he doesn’t match with any of the Republican presidential candidates. Romney disagreed and said that Governor Christie is one of the leading personalities in the Republican Party.