BOWIE, Md.  — Irene Huskens has the wedding venue picked out: a charming bed-and-breakfast in southern Maryland. But the wedding is no sure thing.

The plans made by Huskens, a 43-year-old police captain, and her partner, Leia Burks, hinge on whether Marylanders make history on Nov. 6 by voting to legalize same-sex marriage. A “yes” vote, and the wedding is on. A “no” victory? Huskens is loath to consider it.

“There are a lot of Marylanders who want to set the precedent of equality who will vote from their gut for fairness,” she said at her colonial suburban home in Prince George’s County, where she and Burks are raising two adopted children.

Dating back to 1998, 32 states have held votes on same-sex marriage, and all 32 have opposed it. Maryland is one of four states with Nov. 6 referendums on the issue – and gay-marriage advocates believe there’s a strong chance the streak will be broken.

In Maryland, Maine and Washington, it’s an up-or-down vote on legalizing same-sex marriage. In M

With incredulous looks, frequent interruptions and emotional outbursts, Vice President Joe Biden showed more life in the first 15 minutes of last night’s vice presidential debate with Rep. Paul Ryan than President BarackObama showed during the entire debate last week against Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney.

RELATED: The Vice-Presidential Debate: Fact Vs. Fiction^[1]

And for many, Biden’s showing last night, with him not only fact checking Ryan’s “plans” but underscoring his and the President’s successes, proved that the Democrats were in it to win it.

Watch a summary of the debate here:

On foreign policy, Biden spoke, in part, about President Obama’s determination to seek and capture Osama bin Laden, highlighting Gov. Romney’s public decision to “not move heaven and earth” in the significant effort:

When it came to Osama bin Laden, the president the first day in office, I was sitting with him in the Oval Office, he called in the CIA and signed an order saying, “My highest p

Benjamin Edetanlen was sentenced Wednesday to 18 years in prison for killing his 5-month-old son in 2004 because of a paraphrased version of Proverbs 13:24: “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution^[1], Edetanlen physically abused the infant, as well as a 2-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son.

“The defendant stated that he disciplined the children, according to the book of Proverbs in the Bible,” said Assistant District Attorney Dalia Racine in court.

The baby died from blunt force trauma. He also suffered from a broken leg and brain injuries.

Though he faced murder charges, Edetanlen pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and child cruelty. Prosecutors asked the court for an 18 year sentence to be served in full, and the judge agreed.  He has been ordered to stay away from children after he is released. His wife also faces charges because she allegedly did nothing to stop the abuse.

See

WASHINGTON — A robust registration push by President Barack Obama‘s re-election campaign has resulted in more Democrats than Republicans on the voter rolls in most battleground states, including Florida and Nevada, according to data from state election boards.

But Republicans have had their own registration success, narrowing the Democratic voter advantage since 2008 in many of the battlegrounds, including Iowa. And party officials say they have put more resources into persuading independent voters who are already registered to cast their ballots for party nominee Mitt Romney.

SEE ALSO: Pennsylvania Dad, Left 1-Year-Old Daughter To Go Rob Homes^[1]

“We do not put as big an emphasis on voter registration programs as we do in talking to and persuading independents,” said Rick Wiley, political director for the Republican National Committee. “I would prefer to go in and talk to an independent who is already registered. They have a voter history.”

The president’s campaign, which promoted the v