shemp
7th June 2006, 09:41 AM
Supporters Lose Ground Since Last Time Measure Was Debated In 2004 (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/06/politics/main1688736.shtml)
(CBS/AP) The Senate on Wednesday rejected a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, dealing an embarrassing defeat to President Bush and Republicans who hoped to use the measure to energize conservative voters on Election Day.
Supporters knew they wouldn't achieve the two-thirds vote needed to approve a constitutional amendment, but they had predicted a gain in votes over the last time the issue came up, in 2004. Instead, they lost one vote for the amendment in a procedural test tally that ended up 49-48.
I'm glad to see that both of my Senators showed some uncommon good sense:
Seven Republicans, many from New England, voted to kill the amendment. They were Sens. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, Susan Collins of Maine, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, John McCain of Arizona, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and John Sununu of New Hampshire.
I figured Sununu would vote against it again, but I'm glad to see Gregg switched:
Supporters lost two key "yes" votes — one from Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., who has changed his mind since 2004, and another from Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., who did not vote this time because he was traveling with Bush.
Gregg said that in 2004, he believed the Massachusetts Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in that state would undermine the prerogatives of other states, like his, to prohibit such unions.
"Fortunately, such legal pandemonium has not ensued. The past two years have shown that federalism, not more federal laws, is a viable and preferable approach," Gregg said in a statement.
I'm not thrilled that both my Senators are Republicans, but at least they're not religious wing nuts.
(CBS/AP) The Senate on Wednesday rejected a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, dealing an embarrassing defeat to President Bush and Republicans who hoped to use the measure to energize conservative voters on Election Day.
Supporters knew they wouldn't achieve the two-thirds vote needed to approve a constitutional amendment, but they had predicted a gain in votes over the last time the issue came up, in 2004. Instead, they lost one vote for the amendment in a procedural test tally that ended up 49-48.
I'm glad to see that both of my Senators showed some uncommon good sense:
Seven Republicans, many from New England, voted to kill the amendment. They were Sens. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, Susan Collins of Maine, Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, John McCain of Arizona, Olympia Snowe of Maine, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and John Sununu of New Hampshire.
I figured Sununu would vote against it again, but I'm glad to see Gregg switched:
Supporters lost two key "yes" votes — one from Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., who has changed his mind since 2004, and another from Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., who did not vote this time because he was traveling with Bush.
Gregg said that in 2004, he believed the Massachusetts Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage in that state would undermine the prerogatives of other states, like his, to prohibit such unions.
"Fortunately, such legal pandemonium has not ensued. The past two years have shown that federalism, not more federal laws, is a viable and preferable approach," Gregg said in a statement.
I'm not thrilled that both my Senators are Republicans, but at least they're not religious wing nuts.