RNC Chairman Reince Priebus

This private GOP polling memo obtained by Josh Green makes clear what we've assumed for a while: public support for marriage equality has shifted, irreversibly, and conservative opponents will have to softer their views substantially—and soon—or risk being left in the dust. That's why President Obama's public conversion on same-sex marriage seemed like such a long-time coming, and it's why a southern conservative like Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) would vote to allow gays to serve openly in the military in 2010; the trendlines were obvious.

Which brings us to Reince Priebus' appearance on Meet the Press on Sunday. The Republican National Committee chairman, appearing on the show to defend his party and its presidential nominee, was asked how he feels about the gays. His response:

I think they deserve equal rights in regard to, say, discrimination in the workplace, issues such as, as Mitt Romney has pointed out numerous times, hospital visitations. I mean I think that for the sake of dignity and respect, sure. But if you’re defining marriage as a civil right, then no. I don’t believe that people who are same sex should be able get to married under our laws.

He's not ready to hop on board the same-sex marriage train, but...what's that about workplace discrimination? That's news—and a hint, at least, of a milder tone by the GOP establishment.

As it happens, just last week two GOP senators teamed up with Democrats to announce hearings on the Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which is designed to end workplace discrimination against LGBT employees. It passed the House in 2007 but went no further following a veto threat by President Bush; in 2009, it was introduced in the House but stalled. Although Republicans, like Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), have endorsed ENDA, for the most part it hasn't garnered broad support within the party. Asked about LGBT discrimination by Scott Keyes of Think Progress, Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) responded: "That don't happen out here in the United States of America." House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told the Washington Blade:"I haven't thought much about it."

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There's a new low in the highly charged Trayvon Martin case. According to a report from Florida TV news station WKMG, an unidentified entrepreneur aimed to profit by selling paper gun targets depicting the unarmed teenager slain in February. The targets, which were advertised for sale online until Friday, feature a hoodie with crosshairs over the chest—the place where George Zimmerman shot Martin at point-blank range. While there's plain black in lieu of Martin's face, tucked into the hoodie's arm are a bag of Skittles and can of iced tea like the kind Martin was carrying on that fateful night.

An advertisement for the targets had been posted on a popular firearms auction website, according to WKMG, in which the sellers stated that they "support Zimmerman and believe he is innocent and that he shot a thug." In an email exchange with WKMG reporter Mike DeForest, the seller acknowledged: "My main motivation was to make money off the controversy." The ad reportedly has since been removed, but the seller told the Flordia news station that the response was "overwhelming" and that the targets were "sold out in two days." Customers included two Florida gun dealers, he said.

Mark O'Mara, Zimmerman's attorney, offered condemnation in an interview with the TV station. "It's this type of hatred—that's what this is, it's hate-mongering—that's going to make it more difficult to try this case," O'Mara said.

A Huffington Post report linked to a cached version of a GunBroker.com web page (the link now appears to be broken) belonging to a seller named "hillerarmco" from Virginia Beach, Va., which showed the paper targets being sold in packs of 10 for $8. The product description read:

Everyone knows the story of Zimmerman and Martin. Obviously we support Zimmerman and believe he is innocent and that he shot a thug. Each target is printed on thick, high quality poster paper with a matte finish! The dimensions are 12"x18" ( The same as Darkotic Zombie Targets) This is a Ten Pack of Targets.

Meanwhile, Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, has appeared in a poignant new gun control video rolled out for Mother's Day in which she advocates against Stand Your Ground, the Florida self-defense law which allowed Zimmerman to walk free for six weeks before he was eventually charged with second-degree murder. We'll have much more on Stand Your Ground laws—now on the books in various forms across 25 states—in our forthcoming July/August issue of Mother Jones; in the meantime, catch up on essential background and developments in the case with our comprehensive Trayvon Martin explainer.

Here's WKMG's report:

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Arizona failed to pass a proposed law this week that would have formally banned the state from undertaking sustainability measures. You know, just in case anyone there should ever think about doing that in the future.

The bill is the latest generated by state lawmakers concerned that the UN is staging a global-takeover via a plot known as "Agenda 21". This plot is based on the 20-year-old Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and the Statement of Principles for Sustainable Development, in which countries pledged to work on smart growth—a plan that never went anywhere, anyway. The bill states that "Arizona and all political subdivisions of this state shall not adopt or implement the creed, doctrine, principles or any tenet" of the Rio Declaration.

As Inside Climate reports, while the measure passed the state Senate, it didn't go to a vote in the state house before their session ended. Thus, Arizona is still exposed to the potential evil that is sustainability, at least until next session. It's the fifth state to try, and fail, to pass a law like this in 2012:

In total, five states have tried and failed to pass such rules this year, with Arizona's battle being the most well known. Efforts in Alabama, Kansas and Louisiana are still alive.

Tennessee passed a resolution condemning—though not abolishing—the principles last month.

Proponents of anti-Agenda 21 legislation say it would protect American citizens from a UN-led conspiracy to encroach on their private property rights. Arizona state Sen. Judy Burges, who sponsored SB 1507, has called Agenda 21 "a direct attack on the middle class and working poor" through "social engineering of our citizens."

Tim Murphy wrote about the effort in Kansas earlier this week as well.

It's not like these states are rushing out to take major efforts to become more sustainable. This is, you know, just in case anyone ever thought about it in the future.

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David Corn joined Martin Bashir on MSNBC to discuss the fallout from Thursday's Washington Post story on Mitt Romney's bully past and Romney's non-apology apology.

David Corn is Mother Jones' Washington bureau chief. For more of his stories, click here. Follow him on Twitter.

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