Here's some good news for gay federal workers and the people who love them: Barack Obama just extended a whole bunch of goodies to "same-sex partners of eligible federal workers, including access to medical treatment, relocation assistance, credit unions and fitness centers." Fitness centers? Oh great, now all the straight people can feel bad about being such overweight slobs. Oh wait, never mind, we are talking about federal employee gay people, who are also slobs. Anyway, this is big news probably, and "red meat" for liberals/gays, and it's kind of sad that nobody's really talking about it. Not even the teabaggers! (The teabaggers seem quiet/confused lately, don't they? Did they all just take their lawn chairs and go home, to wait out the foreclosure process?)

From today's Washington Post:

The move goes beyond a memo Obama signed last June, which permitted same-sex partners to use the government's long-term-care insurance and other fringe benefits. The Office of Personnel Management said Tuesday that same-sex partners will become eligible for such insurance next month.

Obama also ordered federal agencies last year to identify other benefits that could be offered to same-sex partners. A review by the Office of Personnel Management and Justice Department determined that at least some agencies could also permit credit union and gym memberships and access to counseling services, adoption counseling, and agency events or outings.

A limited number of intelligence and financial regulatory agencies, Obama's memo said, will be able to provide reimbursements for health-insurance premiums, dental and vision insurance, business travel accident insurance and tax reimbursements for gym memberships, physical exams and homeowners' insurance.

Has there ever been a better time to work for the non-military part of the U.S. Government? Especially with, uh, no other real jobs anywhere in America?

The weird thing is this: An outrageous number of Hill staffers are gay -- unofficial surveys put the percentage near 94% -- but many of them (the Republicans) are at least semi-closeted. Is there any requirement that, say, all 40 GOP Senate chiefs of staff come clean regarding their sexual persuasion in order to get these communist benefits for their partners from the Socialist Gay President Obama? [Washington Post]