Did you know this? I didn't know this.

It's why I try to read Bouphonia, particularly on Fridays.

I know it's wrong to kick someone when they've already gone down, but being as Mitt Romney is a Republican he'll accept that it's the conservative version of fair play. (That being considerably different from fairness and sportsmanlike conduct.)

So, it seems the Mittster, when he was hanging about the "corner office", (Massachusetts is egalitarian in that it is one of the few states not to have a governors mansion), tried to make some hay in the political sunshine by being the first state to accept that "marriage" is a secular arrangement and a commitment between two people who wish to share their life, love and resources with each other - regardless of whether they are of the opposite sex or not. In other words, Mitt fully embraced gay marriage.

Good on Mitt, you say. Massachusetts may have a wanker as a governor (then), but at least he has his head screwed on properly.

Not so fast. Apparently the Mitt was playing fast and furious with the law. When he decided that all people should be treated equally, he also shut down the border.

It took a different governor, Deval Patrick, to be precise, to sort out what Mitt had done. Patrick is a Democrat and has a long CV, which includes service in the Clinton administration, as a champion of equal rights.

So, what is it that Mitt did?

Glad you asked.

Mitt invoked a forgotten law that was enacted in 1913 and has roots as far back as 1843. It prevented couples from out-of-state from acquiring a marriage license in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (Did I spell that right?)

In short, after our pal Mitt signed legislation that effectively wiped out restrictions on who could marry, he contacted every county, city, borough and village and reminded them that the only people they could issue a marriage license to were the good citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

So said that law.

If a couple was from out-of-state they would probably have to go to that blank space which always seems to appear at the top of US weather maps and which is responsible for nasty snowstorms, low-fat cheese and a chain of donut shops selling really shitty coffee.

But that 1913 law had not been enforced for, well, decades. One of the reasons is that legal experts believe that it was enacted to prevent couples taking advantage of the 1843 anti-miscenegation law which allowed (Hang on! The ride gets good from here!) interracial marriage.

Why would Massachusetts (did I spell that right?) do such a thing? Well, to protect their own people - that's why.

You see, some of those Southe'n gentlemen were none to keen on those negros and persons of color actually marryin' or co-habitatin' and they proposed a Constitutional amendment to prohibit interracial marriage.... forever!

That, by the way, was the late Seaborn Roddenberry of Georgia.... a Democrat. The ugly part of his proposal was to invoke the "One Drop Rule" which meant that if a person had any non-Caucasian blood in them, they would be prohibited from marrying.

In Mitt's case, however, it seems the veneer on his actions was that he was worried that the counties, cities, boroughs and villages would suffer an influx of applications from... gawd forbid! New York City!!

So, Mitt Romney, who wanted really, really bad to be preznit, tells us all that as governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusets he invoked an old law, couched in exreme racism,and that he's your man .... ok. well maybe Vice man.

I don't think so.

By the way, has anybody seen or heard from the Mittsters sons?

Since daddy has nothing in the way of a country to save, I guess the lads are in the recruiting process.

Makes me feel are warm and fuzzy.

And, don't worry Mitt. Someone is there fixing your mess.