Morning Newsdome: Tweeting in high places November 19 2009

>> Canadian Parliament member Michelle Simson of the Liberals tweeted during a committee meeting that heavy-set conservative Dean Del Mastro “should grow up (not out)” after being frustrated with his behavior. They were all sitting at the same table, and Del Mastro stood up in front of hundreds of legislators to ask Simson for an apology. Simson apologized, and then probably updated her Facebook status with something rude since neither of them are Facebook friends. (Reuters)

>> A Houston lawyer thinks the Texas’ amendment banning gay marriage inadvertently “eliminated marriage in Texas” between straight couples too when it declares, “The state or a political subdivision of this state may not recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.” Lets see if straight Texan couples act like the law doesn’t apply to them now. (McClatchy)

>> More out of the South: Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour is proposing a new budget where the state’s three public black colleges merge into one black college and the Mississippi University for Women merge into Mississippi State University. Many financially-draining programs would be eliminated as well. Nothing like cutting back on educational opportunities for minorities and women to help your state out in a financial crisis! (InsideHigherEd.com via Gawker)

>> The White House has told Fox News that President Obama will not announce a decision about his Afghanistan war strategy until after Thanksgiving. It’s a fitting time to debate sending 40,000 additional troops to fight in Afghanistan during the anniversary of our forefathers destroying Native Americans, though I bet a lot of the early Americans would not be too pleased with an African-American president. (Fox News)

>> And finally, a group of HIV-positive ladies in Epworth, one of the poorest towns in Zimbabwe, have started their own soccer team and every time they win a match, they march through the clinic cheering. HIV-positive women are especially stigmatized in Zimbabwe, a country where females don’t play soccer. Every now and then, Morning Newsdome needs an uplifting story, and I’m not ashamed of it. Are you listening Disney? (CNN.com)

(Photo by Dustin Chambers)