Courage?

Courage is more than a word that Dan Rather used to sign off with and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Courage is also more than a hokey political award based on a book that John F. Kennedy didn't write, which won a Pulitzer, though it wasn't among the books recommended to the Pulitzer committee by its judges.

Marhsa Ternus, Michael Streit and David Baker are whiners, err winners of the 2012 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award for their part in the Iowa Supreme Court's decision legalizing gay marriage.

These justices like to tell you that they chose not to campaign to retain their seats, but that's not completely accurrate.

The Iowa Judicial Branch website authored a Iowa Voters Judicial Directory that contained their biographies, career andprofessional and community activities, as well asconsiderations that voters may want to take into account whendeciding whether to retain a justice or judge.

While not a proactive campaign, this use of taxpayer funds was campaigning.