Supreme Court Justices Talk Potential Puerto Rico-Born U.S. President

WASHINGTON -- Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy and Stephen Breyer seemed to indicate Thursday they'd consider a U.S. citizen born in Puerto Rico "natural-born" and eligible to run for president. Their comments, directed at Puerto Rican-born Rep. José Serrano (D-N.Y.), came during a House Appropriations Committee hearing on the Supreme Court's budget.

"We're waiting for your case on the Puerto Rican presidency to come to us, but you also have to be 35 years old, don't you? Have you met that requirement?" Kennedy joked. "It's Article II Section I."

"I may double that soon," Serrano replied. "It may come up some day, you might have someone born over there running. But thank you for your semi-opinion."

Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, but residents do not get to vote for president. They do elect a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives.

"I know many possible people from Puerto Rico ... who could be elected," Breyer said. "Modestly, in this room, I will not say exactly who."

Serrano said he was "pretty sure, confident" that a Puerto Rican-born citizen could become president, a view he said Kennedy and Breyer's statements supported.

"No, I have not given an opinion, sir," Breyer said in response.

"I understand, I understand. You have not given an opinion, and nobody here would write that, but let me just say my exploratory committee is coming together in the next half hour," Serrano joked.

Kennedy noted that the "likely explanation" for the natural-born citizen clause of the constitution was that the founding fathers were trying to prevent European royalty from occupying the White House.

"That's the probable reason," Kennedy said. "I wasn't there at the time."

Also on HuffPost:

• Activists dance in an event to support "One Billion Rising" global campaign in New Delhi, India, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

• A churchgoer prepares to receive ashes from Baltimore Archbishop William Lori's outstretched hand during an Ash Wednesday mass in Baltimore, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

• Portuguese performer Pauliana Almeida, 34, kisses her fiancee Japan's Yuga Hatta, 26, after rappelling down the Clerigos' Tower during a performance to mark St. Valentine's Day, Porto, Portugal, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. (AP Photo/Paulo Duarte)

• North Korean army officers and soldiers attend a rally at Kim Il Sung Square on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013, in Pyongyang, North Korea, in celebration of the country's recent nuclear test. The writing reads "We warmly congratulate the 3rd successful underground nuclear test." (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)

• A 'Naga sadhu' or naked Hindu holy man attends to a call as he plays a small drum at the Maha Kumbh festival in Allahabad, India, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)

• A Palestinian wears a mask during clashes with the Israeli army north of the West Bank city of Jenin in support to the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails and against the administrative detention, Friday, Feb. 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Mohammed Ballas)

• Ferris wheel attendants walk up the inside of the wheel to make it spin at a rural carnival in South Dagon Township on February 14, 2013 in Yangon, Burma. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

• A 'Gilles of Binche' throws an orange during the Binche carnival, in Binche, Belgium, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

• Revellers take part in Mardi Gras carnival parade on February 12, 2013 in Fort-de-France on the French Caribbean island of Martinique. (JEAN-MICHEL ANDRE/AFP/Getty Images)

• Indian Sikh school students participate in a protest against the ban on wearing turban in public schools in France, in New Delhi, India, Friday, Feb. 15, 2013 on the occasion of a two-day visit of French President Francois Hollande in India. (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal)

New Report Prompts Accusations That Administration Is Failing Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs is failing to keep up with a torrent of benefits claims, and the backlog leaves many service members high and dry for well over a year after first filing their forms, a new report from the Center for Investigative Reporting finds.

From the CIR report:

The agency tracks and widely reports the average wait time: 273 days. But the internal data indicates that veterans filing their first claim, including those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, wait nearly two months longer, between 316 and 327 days. Those filing for the first time in America's major population centers wait up to twice as long -- 642 days in New York, 619 days in Los Angeles and 542 days in Chicago.

The ranks of veterans waiting more than a year for their benefits grew from 11,000 in 2009, the first year of Obama's presidency, to 245,000 in December -- an increase of more than 2,000 percent.

And the VA is predicting that the situation will get worse, as the number of veterans waiting on the department to process their claims is expected to surge past the current 900,000 and toward a million by the end of March. A spokesman for the VA told the CIR that the department is being inundated by a nearly 50-percent increase in the number of filed claims. He said the growth was due to a combination of increasing numbers of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans returning home, broadening claims for PTSD and Gulf War illness, and new guidelines allowing Vietnam vets to request compensation for complications due to exposure to Agent Orange.

The department is also being crushed, quite literally, under claims filed on paper. The CIR reports that 97 percent of all veterans' claims are submitted on paper, a trend that recently led the VA to warn that the weight of the files and cabinets had compromised the structural integrity of one of its office buildings in North Carolina.

(Click over to the Center for Investigative Reporting for the entire report, as well as a picture of a VA office flooded with paperwork.)

Veterans groups have called on President Barack Obama, who has frequently touted his record on veterans issues, to address the failure of the VA under his watch.

'If this report is true, it reveals a total betrayal of trust for America's veterans. IAVA calls on the president to respond to this report immediately. Enough is enough," Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans Association CEO and Founder Paul Rieckhoff said in a statement. "Disabled Iraq and Afghanistan veterans should not have to wait until 2015 to receive the financial and health support they depend on. We call on the president to establish a presidential commission to end the VA backlog now. This backlog is a national embarrassment -- it's time to end it once and for all.'

The VA acknowledged that its performance was lagging in a recent hearing before the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs.

"Too many veterans still have to wait too long to get the compensation benefits they earn, and that is unacceptable to us," VA Undersecretary for Benefits Allison Hickey said, according to CNN.

But others are calling for more immediate action. In a column in Time Magazine, Joe Klein argued that it was time for VA Secretary Eric Shinseki to "step down."

Also on HuffPost:

• Chuck Hagel (February 2013 - Present)

  New Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is greeted as he arrives for his first day at the Department of Defense, on February 27, 2013 in Arlington, Va. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

• Leon Panetta (July 2011 - February 2013)

  Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta pauses while speaking during a ceremonial swearing-in at the Department of Defense July 22, 2011 in Washington. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Robert Gates (Dec. 2006 - July 2011)

  Robert Gates speaks during his ceremonial swearing in as the 22nd defense secretary on Dec. 18, 2006 at the Pentagon. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Donald Rumsfeld (Jan. 2001 - Dec. 2006)

  U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld holds his press conference at the Pentagon briefing room on Jan. 26, 2001 in Arlington, Va. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• William Cohen (Jan. 1997 - Jan. 2001)

  Secretary of Defense designate William Cohen testifies during confirmation hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Jan. 22, 1997 in Washington. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• William Perry (Feb. 1994 - Jan. 1997)

  U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry points to a reporter during a press conference on April 21, 1994 in Seoul, Korea. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Les Aspin (Jan. 1993 - Feb. 1994)

  U.S. Secretary of Defense Les Aspin released new regulations governing gays in the military during a press on Dec. 22, 1993 at the Pentagon. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Dick Cheney (March 1989 - Jan. 1993)

  U.S. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney (L) meets Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, on April 3, 1989, at Washington. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Frank Carlucci (Nov. 1987 - Jan. 1989)

  U.S. Defense Secretary Frank Carlucci testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on July 13, 1988 in Washington. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Caspar Weinberger (Jan. 1981 - Nov. 1987)

  Caspar Weinberger, Secretary of Defense on Feb. 9, 1981. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Harold Brown (Jan. 1977 - Jan. 1981)

  General Alexander M. Haig, right, retired as NATO commander, walks with Defense Secretary Harold Brown during an awards ceremony on July 3, 1979 at Fort Myer, Va. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Donald Rumsfeld (Nov. 1975 - Jan. 1977)

  A 1976 photo of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• James Schlesinger (July 1973 - Nov. 1975)

  Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan, left, with Secretary of Defense James R. Schlesinger, chats on Friday, Jan. 5, 1974 at the Pentagon. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Elliot Richardson (Jan. 1973 - May 1973)

  Elliot L. Richardson speaks to newsmen Oct. 23, 1973 at a press conference held at the Department of Justice. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Melvin Laird (Jan. 1969 - Jan. 1973)

  Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird as he departed from Andrews Air Force Base Md., for Paris on Jan. 5, 1971 in Washington. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Clark Clifford (March 1968 - Jan. 1969)

  This is an Oct. 1968 photo of Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford as he announces his support for President Johnson's decision to halt the bombing of North Vietnam. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Robert McNamara (Jan. 1961 - Feb. 1968)

  PARIS, FRANCE: US Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara smiles as he arrives 27 November 1965 at Paris' NATO headquarters. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Thomas Gates (Dec. 1959 - Jan. 1961)

  Secretary of Defense Thomas S. Gates Jr., center, poses with Benjamin M. McKelway, left, editor of the Washington Evening Star and President of the AP, and AP General Manager Frank J. Starzel at the April 25, 1960 meeting of the Associated Press in New York. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Neil McElroy (Oct. 1957 - Dec. 1959)

  Defense Secretary Neil McElroy said he has "fullest confidence that the United States is ahead of the Soviets..." prior to the announcement of the Soviet's achievement in launching the first earth satellite, Oct. 4, 1958. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Charles Wilson (Jan. 1953 - Oct. 1957)

  Charles E. Wilson, left, takes the oath of office from Chief Justice Fred Vinson at the White House in Washington on Dec. 21, 1950 as head of the office of Defense Mobilization. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Robert Lovett (Sept. 1951 - Jan. 1953)

  Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower (right) watches President Harry S. Truman and Gen. Omar Bradley help Defense Secretary Robert Lovett (left) get in place as the men posed on the south lawn of the White House on June 1, 1952 in Washington. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• George Marshall (Sept. 1950 - Sept. 1951)

  Anna M. Rosenberg, New York Labor and Public Relations consultant, who is named assistant secretary of defense, chats with Secretary of Defense George Marshall in a conference at the Pentagon on Nov. 9, 1950 in Arlington, Va. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• Louis Johnson (March 1949 - Sept. 1950)

  Defense Secretary Louis Johnson (right) gives new identification card to President Harry Truman at the White House on Nov. 9, 1949 in Washington, listing him as commander in chief for an "indefinite" term. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

• James Forrestal (Sept. 1947 - March 1949)

  James V. Forrestal, Secretary of Defense under President Harry Truman, is shown on July 26, 1947. (Source: <a href="http://www.defense.gov/specials/secdef_histories/">Department of Defense</a>)

Boehner Turns Down Obama Invitation

WASHINGTON ' House Speaker John Boehner says he's turning town President Barack Obama's invitation to be in the U.S. delegation to the installation of Pope Francis.

The Ohio Republican says in a statement that he'd like to go, but it's impossible with his duties including the budget debate and hosting the Irish prime minister at the Capitol.

Vice President Joe Biden, the first Roman Catholic to be elected vice president, is leading the delegation. Boehner's office said that after Obama spoke to House Republicans Wednesday, the president invited Boehner, who is Catholic, to accompany Biden.

Boehner says he is grateful for the invitation. He wished the vice president well and said he hopes Biden will send prayers and warm regards from all Americans, especially Catholics, to the first pope from the Americas.

Also on HuffPost:

• Newly elected Pope Francis I appears on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

• Argentina's cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, elected Pope Francis I addresses the crowd on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica's after being elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope Francis I on Wednesday, becoming the church's first Latin American pontiff after a conclave to elect a leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE

• Newly elected Pope Francis I appears on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

• Newly elected Pope Francis I appears on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

• Newly elected Pope Francis I appears on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

• Newly elected Pope Francis I appears on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

• People cheer in St. Peter's Square as they listen to newly elected pope, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, who will take the name Pope Francis, on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

• Newly elected Pope Francis I speaks to the waiting crowd from the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

• Argentinian women scream in St. Peter's Square as they listen to the announcement that the newly elected Pope will be Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, who will take the name Pope Francis on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

• Argentina's Jorge Bergoglio, elected Pope Francis I (C) appears at the window of St Peter's Basilica's balcony after being elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLARO

• People cheer in St. Peter's Square as white smoke billows out signifying that the Cardinals in the Conclave have come to a decision on a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Cardinals entered the conclave on March 12 to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI after he became the first pope in 600 years to resign from the role. The conclave inside the Sistine Chapel is attended by 115 cardinals as they voted to select the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

• Newly elected Pope Francis I appears on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

• Newly elected Pope Francis I appears on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

• Newly elected Pope Francis I appears on the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

• People cheer in St. Peter's Square as white smoke billows out of the chimney signifying that the Cardinals in the Conclave have come to a decision on a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

• Argentina's Jorge Bergoglio, elected Pope Francis I appears at the window of St Peter's Basilica's balcony after being elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE

• French proto-deacon cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran announces the name of the new Pope, Argentinian cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio on March 13, 2013 from the balcony of St Peter's basilica at the Vatican. AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE

• Nuns jubilate as white smoke rises from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel meaning that cardinals elected34 a new pope in the second ballot of their secret conclave on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

• A pilgrim kisses a cross after white smoke billowed from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel indicating that a new pope has been elected in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

• Swiss guards enter St Peter's Square after white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel announcing that Catholic Church cardinals had elected a new pope during a conclave on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE

• People jubilate as white smoke rises from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel indicating that the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor, the 266th Pontiff, has been selected by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

• Faithfuls react in St Peter's Square after white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel announcing that Catholic Church cardinals had elected a new pope during a conclave on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE

• People shelter from the rain in St. Peters Square as they await news of the newly elected Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor, the 266th Pontiff, has been selected by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images)

• Swiss guards parade after white smoke rose from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel meaning that cardinals elected a new pope on the second day of their secret conclave on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLARO

• A general view shows the crowd on St Peter's square as white smoke rises from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel meaning that cardinals elected a new pope during the conclave on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. AFP PHOTO / TIZIANA FABI

• Faithfuls wait under rain for the smoke announcing the result on the second day of the papal election conclave on March 13, 2013 at St Peter's square at the Vatican. In a rain-swept St Peter's Square, tens of thousands of people were hoping today to see the puff of smoke that would signal that cardinals meeting inside the chapel had reached a decision on who should be the next pope. Despite two puffs of black smoke in as many days, signalling that the 115 cardinals in the secret conclave had yet to choose a successor to Benedict XVI, many in the crowd were optimistic. AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS

• White smoke rises from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel meaning that cardinals elected a new pope on the second day of their secret conclave on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO

• Faithfuls wait under rain for the smoke announcing the result on the second day of the papal election conclave on March 13, 2013 at St Peter's square at the Vatican. In a rain-swept St Peter's Square, tens of thousands of people were hoping today to see the puff of smoke that would signal that cardinals meeting inside the chapel had reached a decision on who should be the next pope. Despite two puffs of black smoke in as many days, signalling that the 115 cardinals in the secret conclave had yet to choose a successor to Benedict XVI, many in the crowd were optimistic. AFP PHOTO / FILIPPO MONTEFORTE

• A faithful waves a French flag as the crowd waits for the smoke announcing the result on the second day of the papal election conclave on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. Catholics gathered from the early morning in St Peter's Square on Wednesday for the first full day of a conclave to elect a new pope, saying they wanted a compassionate leader who would bring hope to the world. AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLARO

• White smoke emerges from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. The white smoke indicates that the new pope has been elected. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

• Faithfuls react in St Peter's Square after white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel announcing that Catholic Church cardinals had elected a new pope during a conclave on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE

• White smoke rises from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel meaning that cardinals elected a new pope on the second day of their secret conclave on March 13, 2013 at the Vatican. AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLARO

• White smoke billows from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel indicating that the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI's successor - the 266th Pontiff - has been selected by the College of Cardinals in Conclave in the Sistine Chapel. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

• Crowds gather in St. Peter's Square to wait for the election of a new pope by the cardinals in conclave in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

• White smoke billowed from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel indicating that a new pope has been elected in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

• White smoke billows from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel indicating that a new pope has been elected in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

• Crowds cheer after white smoke billowed from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel indicating that a new pope has been elected in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 13, 2013. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

LOOK: Microsoft Outlook Goes Gay With New Ad

Microsoft Outlook features a same-sex wedding as part of its new advertising campaign.

The new clip shows two women tying the knot before one updates her surname within the Outlook program.

The commercial follows in the footsteps of Kindle Paperwhite, which has produced a similarly marriage equality-themed ad. Earlier this year, Crate & Barrel similarly depicted two men at a romantic dinner as part of a new "January Inspiration" catalog.

Bob Witeck, who consults for Fortune 100 companies on LGBT marketing and communications strategies, told the Associated Press that President Barack Obama's controversial embrace of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights has changed the playing field for corporate advertising in recent months.

"Things have changed significantly in terms of risk and reward," Witeck is quoted by the AP as saying. "Businesses don't view this as a risk model any longer."

H/T Joe. My. God.

Also on HuffPost:

• Birdo From 'Super Mario Bros. 2'

  The original manual for "Super Mario Bros. 2" asserts that Birdo is a boy who believes that he is a girl, and would rather be referred to as "Birdetta". Although the name change never took effect and later franchise installments dropped mention of Birdo's gender, it was widely discussed by gaming magazines. One writer called the pink reptile '<a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/6808/" target="_hplink">infamously gender-confused</a>' while another speculated Birdo was <a href="http://www.transsexual.org/birdo.html" target="_hplink">post-op transsexual</a>. If that's the case, kudos to you, Birdo, for queering the Nintendo universe and staying true to yourself.

• Liara From 'Mass Effect'

  In BioWare's sci-fi series, "Mass Effect," whether the player chooses to play as a male or female character, there is an option for a subplot romance and sexual encounter with the alien Liara. Liara takes pansexuality to the extreme -- she is a member of an all-female race that is able to reproduce with any sex of any species.

• Tony From 'Earthbound'

  There was no mention of Tony's sexuality in the 1994 Super Nintendo classic "Earthbound," but there are several hints at a crush on bookish best friend and roommate Jeff Andonuts, like Tony waking up and saying, "Ah, Jeff, I just dreamt you and I were taking a walk." After defeating Giygas, a gift box in Saturn Valley contains a letter that Tony wrote to Jeff, saying "I can't wait to see your cheerful face. I bet your glasses are dirty... If you come back, I'll clean them for you! Like I said, I'm waiting for you...Don't show this letter to anyone!" Years after the game's release, director Shigesato Itoi <a href="http://earthboundcentral.com/2008/06/yes-tony-is-gay-and-mr-saturn-is-innocent/" target="_hplink">confirmed Tony is gay</a>. For more on Tony's sexuality, check out <a href="http://gay-nerds.com/site/videogames/unrequited-love-earthbounds-gay-tony/" target="_hplink">this post</a> on <a href="http://gay-nerds.com/site/" target="_hplink">gay-nerds.com</a>. (edit: Video changed because the previous one was pretty offensive. Original video was a last minute addition to replace a screen shot. An error made in haste. Apologies. Thanks for pointing that out, user AscensionSoon.)

• Jimmy Hopkins From 'Bully'

  As tough guy Jimmy Hopkins, the protagonist of "Bully," players can make out with either boys or girls to gain health. Although the game ends with Jimmy making out with female love interest Zoe, one of the female characters in the game alludes to Jimmy's curiosity, saying, "I'm like Helen of Troy, but you seem more interested in boys named Troy."

• Kanji Tatsumi From 'Persona 4'

  In the 2008 role-playing game "Persona 4," street punk Kanji Tatsumi must confront his closeted homosexuality... literally. In the battle against Shadow Kanji, shown in the clip, Kanji fights the woman-hating, narcissistic menace that lives within him. As the embodiment of all the negative stereotypes of gay people which Kanji had internalized, and the deep-seated anxieties surrounding masculinity, the defeat of Shadow Kanji is indicative of Kanji accepting his sexuality as an essential, yet not essentializing, part of himself. For a fantastic analysis of sexuality and homophobia in "Persona 4," check out <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22015" target="_hplink">this Gamasutra article</a>.

• Gay Tony From 'Grand Theft Auto IV'

  Gay Tony is the pill-popping, cocaine-snorting gay club owner in "Grand Theft Auto IV" who is friends with main character Niko Belic. The powerful and destructive socialite was given an expanded role in the follow-up titled "Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony."

• Vamp From 'Metal Gear Solid'

  Vamp, who was introduced in "Metal Gear Solid 2" as a blood-feeding antagonist with superhuman strength and affinity for knives, didn't get his name for his vampiric qualities. Rather, "Vamp" is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpx5TW1A68I" target="_hplink">apparently slang</a> for men who suck the necks of men and refers to his bisexuality.

• Sims From 'The Sims'

  How about this for a progressive view of sexuality: In Maxis's groundbreaking life-simulator series "The Sims," no Sim is straight by default, as s/he can have a crush on, fall in love with, engage in romantic interactions and "WooHoo" with a Sim of either gender.

• Arcade Gannon From 'Fallout: New Vegas'

  In the 2009 sci-fi game "Fallout: New Vegas," Arcade Gannon is a member of the Followers of the Apocalypse in 2281 and researches the potential medicinal uses of natural compounds. As you can see in the clip, he is highly intelligent, personable, and quick-witted. Whereas many LGBT characters are defined only by their queerness, Gannon is a complex character who happens to be gay.

• Juhani From 'Star Wars: Knight Of The Old Republic'

  When Juhani appeared as a playable character in the 2003 sci-fi game "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic," she became the first openly gay character in the Star Wars universe. Although some versions of the game contain a glitch that allows a romantic subplot with a male player, and there are hacks to unlock this in games that don't, Juhani is, under normal circumstances, strictly a lady's lady.

Bernie Sanders: Citizens United Decision 'Must Be Reversed'

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) introduced a constitutional amendment on Tuesday, aimed at reversing the Supreme Court's ruling on Citizens United.

Titled "Democracy is for People," the amendment would "stop corporations and their front groups from using their profits and dark money donations to influence our elections," Deutch said in a statement released on Sanders' official website.

Sanders has been a long time advocate of reversing the Supreme Court's 2010 ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which allowed unrestricted spending in federal campaigns. Sanders reiterated that opinion on Tuesday.

"What the Supreme Court did in Citizens United is to tell billionaires like the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson, 'You own and control Wall Street. You own and control coal companies. You own and control oil companies. Now, for a very small percentage of your wealth, we're going to give you the opportunity to own and control the United States government,'" Sanders said. "That is the essence of what Citizens United is all about. That is why this disastrous decision must be reversed."

Last year, Sanders and Deutch introduced the "Saving American Democracy Amendment" and brought attention to the importance of Americans understanding how campaigns were financed. In January 2012, Sanders co-authored a HuffPost blog with Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen (the group behind Democracy Is For People project), voicing their Citizens United concerns:

The ruling not only poisoned our political process. It contaminated the legislative process. It cast a permanent chill over all policymaking. Will the merits or the money tip the balance when an issue comes before Congress? What do you think? If the question is on breaking up huge banks, for example, every member of the Senate and the House, in the back of their minds, will ask themselves what the personal price would be for taking on Wall Street. Am I going to be punished? Will a huge amount of money be unleashed in my state? They're going to think twice about how to cast that vote. Not to put too fine a point on it, you will see politicians being adopted by corporations and becoming wholly owned subsidiaries of corporate entities.

In August 2012, President Barack Obama said he supported overturning the Supreme Court's ruling on Citizens United while answering a question posted in an "Ask Me Anything" discussion on Reddit.

"Over the longer term, I think we need to seriously consider mobilizing a constitutional amendment process to overturn Citizens United (assuming the Supreme Court doesn't revisit it)," Obama wrote. "Even if the amendment process falls short, it can shine a spotlight of the super-PAC phenomenon and help apply pressure for change."

Related on HuffPost:

• Chief Justice John Roberts

  <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx">Serving since:</a> Sept. 29, 2005

• Antonin Scalia

  <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx">Serving since:</a> Sept. 26, 1986

• Anthony Kennedy

  <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx">Serving since:</a> Feb. 18, 1988

• Clarence Thomas

  <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx">Serving since:</a> Oct. 23, 1991

• Ruth Bader Ginsburg

  <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx">Serving since:</a> Aug. 10, 1993

• Stephen Breyer

  <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx">Serving since:</a> Aug. 3, 1994

• Samuel Alito

  <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx">Serving since:</a> Jan. 31, 2006

• Sonia Sotomayor

  <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx">Serving since:</a> Aug. 8, 2009

• Elena Kagan

  <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/about/biographies.aspx">Serving since:</a> Aug. 7, 2010

Lawmakers Kill Abortion Restriction Proposal

The New Hampshire House of Representatives voted down legislation calling for a 24-hour waiting period for abortions, less than a year after passing similar legislation.

Lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled chamber voted 229-121 on Wednesday against the proposal, the Associated Press reported. Last May, when the chamber was controlled by a tea party-affiliated Republican majority, the measure passed after it was tacked on to a bill relating to research and development tax credits. The state Senate killed the abortion waiting period bill last year.

The legislation required that women receive an outline of the procedure, a list of "medically-accurate" complications and alternatives to abortion. This would include state publications on abortion complications and alternatives, along with material noting that the child's father is financially liable. Women would have been required to sign a document confirming receipt of the information.

Doctors would have been required to document and fill out a form if an emergency abortion did not allow for the waiting period and counseling session.

The proposal, which was described as "pro-choice" by supporters, required women to receive medical counseling prior to an abortion and then wait a minimum of 24 hours before receiving the procedure. According to a Judiciary Committee report circulated to lawmakers, state Rep. Lenette Peterson (R-Merrimack) wrote that the bill would provide women with more options. She compared the procedure with the advice doctors give to patients seeking elective surgery.

"This is a pro-educational/pro-choice bill. Education is key to make an informed decision," Peterson wrote. "Elective surgery is not performed within a 24-hour notice and there is no reason why an abortion cannot have a 24-hour waiting period. This bill would allow plenty of time to study all options available, before making a life changing decision."

But state Rep. Sylvia Gale (D-Nashua) used the committee report to urge lawmakers to vote no on the bill, saying that it would put new restrictions on a woman's right to choose. She wrote that women already give thought to the procedure before going to a doctor.

"This requirement would impose ideologically driven obstacles to women seeking this medical service, and is both impractical and burdensome and could lead to increased health risks for some patients," Gale wrote.

Republicans Release Video Promoting Capitol Tours

Around the Web:

Republicans say Capitol tours unaffected by cuts

GOP: Sequestration will not affect Capitol tours

Dome: GOP delegation says US Capitol still open, y'all come

After GOP criticism of golf costs, Obama opts for basketball

Deroy Murdock: GOP leaders need courage, stagecraft

Boehner: Capitol tours still open

Seriously? Republicans angry over canceled White House tours

Republicans Feeling Sequester Pain as Democrats Highlight Local Cutbacks

Obama talks entitlements on the Hill - House GOP budget out today - After ...