The legislation will extend the window from three days to 28 days if the betrothed couple does not undergo pre-marital counseling, reports MLive.com

Judge James Sheridan of Adrian, who sells a book on his version of the biblical marriage, said this would be a good thing, as 14 percent of couples don’t get married after going through the course because they realize it’s a mistake.

“This is definitely crossing a line of what government should be involved in,” objected Shelly Weisberg of the ACLU Michigan. “Who’s to say what makes a good marriage for two people?”

This is the same committee that has passed legislation to require aborted fetuses to be cremated or buried and has pushed through legislation prohibiting adult students from having a relationship with any school employee at their school.

So naturally it attracts the attention of the U.S. Naval Institute’s awesomeblog when The New York Times runs a piece about an embarrassing and messy divorce that Mabus and his ex-wife endured. The White House, rightly, tells the paper’s Jim Rutenberg that Mabus’ divorce is irrelevant to his potential service in the administration. But the Naval Institute’s contrib-blogger Springboared wonders:

Airing dirty laundry is, sadly, a tradition for high-level appointees.  But given how orchestrated anti-nominee media campaigns can be, is this New York Times piece a first salvo in a messy nomination drama?

Springboared also finds a 1971 picture of Mabus as a young Naval officer wearing a seriously righteous beard. If the man’s divorce will be an issue in his hearing, why not get on his case about his facial hair? (Not that Springboared is saying that, but still. Honestly. Let’s grow up as a country, shall we?)