WASHINGTON – The Senate scuttled a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage on Wednesday, handing a defeat to President Bush yet assuring the issue renewed prominence in the fall campaign for the White House and control of Congress.
Forty-eight senators voted to advance the measure — 12 short of the 60 needed — and 50 voted to block it. Defeat came at the hands of dozens of Democrats joined by six Republicans.
More HERE.
Way too close, though, huh? Sigh.
it’s insanity isn’t it.
WAY too close. I thought the same thing. And I’m happy to be the first one to say here: Santorum is an ASS.
Let me just say that it was close, but it was still a “win”. That is the important thing. I think momentum is gaining amongst the “straight but not narrow” of us out there, and we realize that we have to speak up for these rights as well. It’s is more than an issue of “gay marriage”, it’s an issue of acceptance of definitions of love and marriage beyone those that someone created without our consent.
Santorum is an ass. It shames me to be from PA.
Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. It’s the outcome that counts, thankfully.
I think it’s a win just for stopping some of the anti-gay-marriage momentum that I was fearing we were starting to hear. I wrote a little about that on my blog today, and also that on a more cheerful note, the MIT ballroom dance community allowed two men to dance competitively, which seems like it will end up being a test case with the national organization. This is very exciting news! Maybe (just maybe) we’ll get to see men dance with each other in the 2008 Olympics! How cool would that be?!
that was too close for comfort. i’ll be glad when this battle is finally won.
We let out a cheer when he heard it failed then ten seconds later when we realized how close it was we felt a little awed. And not in a good way.*sigh* At least it failed this time.
While I’m disturbed (but not altogether surprised) by how many Republicans actually voted for this monstrosity of a legislative faux-pas, I’m a tad upset that neither Kerry nor Edwards voted. I mean, I’m voting for them in November no matter what, but still… we know they’re against the amendment and I thought it rather insipid of them to stay so far away from it yesterday.
As an American living in Canada – proud home of legal same-sex marriage (for now) – I have to agree Way Too Close!
I have been following this closely, with a feeling of mild to moderate disgust, for some time.
How can anyone have a problem with two people uniting in love?
Grumbling,
Leslie
knitting therapist
I’m proud. Both of the Republican senators from my state were among the 6 who voted against it.
*waves a tiny Maine flag*
there’s ballroom dance in the Olympics?
Anyway, I’m relieved that it didn’t pass, but disgusted that it came so close and that Kerry and Edwards took the wussy route by not officially coming down on one side or the other. True, relative to Bush they’re practically getting amrried themselves, but still.
how’re the shin splints doing?
And more good news. You might remember that in addition to the bashing Rachel reported from her neck of the woods, there was a pretty vicious hate crime stabbing up here in Seattle on Pride weekend.
In this morning’s paper Seattle PD announced that two of the three attackers have been arrested, and there’s a warrant out for the third. So, a little bit of justice looks to be coming down the road on that front, too.
Phew…. too damn close if you ask me. But it’s still a victory for now. I would have really been happy if K&E came back to DC. It, too, disturbs me that they stayed miles away. My two fabulous senators both voted nea. Love ’em, yes I do. But I still sent letters to both of them.
Close means that we still have a lot of work to do. Time to get mobilized.