Senate Vote on MPA
Can someone please tell me what is wrong with the US Senate? Today (June 7, 2006) a cloture vote to bring the MPA to a vote of the full senate failed on a 49-48 vote and three not even showing up for the vote.
The vote was pretty much along party lines with the exception of six RINO’s that voted Nay (the usual suspects: Snowe (R-ME) Collins (R-ME) McCain (R-AZ) Specter (R-PA) Gregg (R-NH) Sununu (R-NH).) The big surprise was that two Democrats voted Yea. Ben Nelson (D-NE) was not all that surprising but Robert Byrd (D-WV) came as a shock to me. But even if the six RINO’s had not defected and the three no-shows had vote Yea, the motion would have failed needing 60 votes to send the measure to the full senate.
This was pretty much a case of the world’s most exclusive club protecting its members. By denying the bill a vote of the full senate it gives cover to those members who are up for re-election this year. They can go back home and campaign saying they didn’t vote against the Amendment they just vote to provide more debate on the issue. Yeah, right!
Homosexual marriage is a potent political issue, with opponents ever more dedicated to preserving the traditional definition of marriage. A Pew Research poll conducted in February 2004 found: "Gay marriage has surpassed other major social issues like abortion and gun control in its influence on voters. Four in ten voters say they would not vote for a candidate who disagrees with them on gay marriage, even if they agree with the candidate on most other issues." The poll reported that "voters oppose gay marriage by more than two to one (65 percent to 28 percent), a margin that has remained generally steady since October."
Blue State politicians have constituents that are opposed to Gay Marriage. With a 65-28% margin it means that even Blue State politicians have to know that the people of their states no matter what their politics believe that Marriage should be legally defined as “the union of one man and one woman.”
So rather than face the wrath of the voters our elected representatives once again disregarded their responsibility and leave the matter up to the courts.
The vote was pretty much along party lines with the exception of six RINO’s that voted Nay (the usual suspects: Snowe (R-ME) Collins (R-ME) McCain (R-AZ) Specter (R-PA) Gregg (R-NH) Sununu (R-NH).) The big surprise was that two Democrats voted Yea. Ben Nelson (D-NE) was not all that surprising but Robert Byrd (D-WV) came as a shock to me. But even if the six RINO’s had not defected and the three no-shows had vote Yea, the motion would have failed needing 60 votes to send the measure to the full senate.
This was pretty much a case of the world’s most exclusive club protecting its members. By denying the bill a vote of the full senate it gives cover to those members who are up for re-election this year. They can go back home and campaign saying they didn’t vote against the Amendment they just vote to provide more debate on the issue. Yeah, right!
Homosexual marriage is a potent political issue, with opponents ever more dedicated to preserving the traditional definition of marriage. A Pew Research poll conducted in February 2004 found: "Gay marriage has surpassed other major social issues like abortion and gun control in its influence on voters. Four in ten voters say they would not vote for a candidate who disagrees with them on gay marriage, even if they agree with the candidate on most other issues." The poll reported that "voters oppose gay marriage by more than two to one (65 percent to 28 percent), a margin that has remained generally steady since October."
Blue State politicians have constituents that are opposed to Gay Marriage. With a 65-28% margin it means that even Blue State politicians have to know that the people of their states no matter what their politics believe that Marriage should be legally defined as “the union of one man and one woman.”
So rather than face the wrath of the voters our elected representatives once again disregarded their responsibility and leave the matter up to the courts.
posted by John Galt | 9:49 PM
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