Birds on the Brain

— Retiring Rep. Barney Frank • On the inclusion of gay marriage as part of the official Democratic Party platform. The 15-member Democratic Party platform draft committee unanimously approved language supporting marriage equality, and according to Frank, a member of the committee, the vote wasn’t even close. The draft still has to be approved by the full platform committee, which meets in two weeks; then, delegates at the Democratic National Convention will have to vote in favor of it it. Huffington Post, which talked to two sources on the matter, claims that “the deal is more or less final.” Reacting to the news, the president of the National Organization for Marriage said that Democrats “can kiss the presidential election, the House and now the Senate goodbye.” What do you think—will this help or hurt Democrats in November?  source (via • follow)