Today Federal judge Callie V.S. Granade ordered the probate judge in Mobile County to begin issuing marriage licenses to every couple who asks for one, no matter whether the couple is same-sex or opposite-sex.

“If Plaintiffs take all steps that are required in the normal course of business as a prerequisite to issuing a marriage license to opposite-sex couples, Judge Davis may not deny them a license on the ground that Plaintiffs constitute same-sex couples or because it is prohibited by the Sanctity of Marriage Amendment and the Alabama Marriage Protection Act or by any other Alabama law or Order pertaining to same-sex marriage,” Granade writes.

I think with Mobile that means the counties with the biggest urban centers are now all issuing licenses.

There are still 44 counties in Alabama in which marriage licenses are unavailable to same-sex couples. That’s down from 51 on Monday.

Ol’ Judge Moore is going to lose and he knows it, but he likes to put on a show. Ordering probate judges to refuse to issue licenses to same-sex couples makes him a hero to the no-neck crowd. He thought about running for Governor a few years ago, and this kind of publicity may push him toward contemplating it again.