Senate Scuttles Gay Marriage Amendment

[underpants]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&e=1&u=/ap/20040714/ap_on_go_co/gay_marriage

WASHINGTON - The Senate dealt an election-year defeat Wednesday to a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, rejecting pleas from President Bush (news - web sites) and fellow conservatives that the measure was needed to safeguard an institution that has flourished for thousands of years.


The vote was 50-48, 10 short of the 60 needed to keep the measure alive.


"I would argue that the future of our country hangs in the balance because the future of marriage hangs in the balance," said Sen. Rick Santorum, a leader in the fight to approve the measure. "Isn't that the ultimate homeland security, standing up and defending marriage?"

[Beetwasher]

1. "The Future of the Country Hangs in the Balance"???

"Isn't that Homeland Security"???? What a fucking idiot...

[fudge stripe cookays]

2. Thank GOD.

I know all my GLBT friends are very excited about this. And I'm very happy for all of you!

FSC

[Not Me]

13. Deja vu

The following appeared in DU after the State of the Union.
It makes an encore appearance today, in light of today's Senate developments. Enjoy.

The State of the Union is Straight
January 23, 2004
DemocraticUnderground.com

We gays and lesbians know something of bullies. Mr. President, you sir are a bully. You showed your true nature when you said this at the State of the Union address this week:

A strong America must also value the institution of marriage. I believe we should respect individuals as we take a principled stand for one of the most fundamental, enduring institutions of our civilization. Congress has already taken a stand on this issue by passing the Defense of Marriage Act, signed in 1996 by President Clinton. That statute protects marriage under Federal law as the union of a man and a woman, and declares that one state may not redefine marriage for other states. Activist judges, however, have begun redefining marriage by court order, without regard for the will of the people and their elected representatives. On an issue of such great consequence, the people's voice must be heard. If judges insist on forcing their arbitrary will upon the people, the only alternative left to the people would be the constitutional process. Our nation must defend the sanctity of marriage.

The outcome of this debate is important - and so is the way we conduct it. The same moral tradition that defines marriage also teaches that each individual has dignity and value in God's sight.

Mr. President, some of us were scared of bullies in school. We felt so bad about ourselves we somehow felt we deserved the second class treatment we were getting. Well no more Mr. President. We will fight you and we will win.

We will fight you in the House. We will fight you in the Senate. We will fight you in the state legislatures. We will fight you in the churches. We will fight you in the streets. We will fight you in the gutters where you chose to take us. We will fight you and we will win. When you wonder why we kicked your ass, it will have been this "If judges insist on forcing their arbitrary will upon the people, the only alternative left to the people would be the constitutional process."

We know what "judges forcing their arbitrary will on us" is like. That is why you were at the rostrum delivering your hateful speech. The Constitution handed down by our founders is not the arbitrary will of judges. It is not some paper written after one of your all night binges. It is the floor plan of the house that is our democracy. And squatters don't get to put additions on the house. We will fight you, and we will win.

Who are we? We teach your kids and fix your cars. We cook your food, and invest your money. We grace your screen and landscape your yards. We cut your hair and quarterback your team. We have organized the Continental Army, painted the Sistine Chapel, cracked the Enigma, represented you in the Texas House, and even defended the country during your absence without leave in Alabama.

But that is not why we have a right to marriage. One doesn't earn rights. They are bestowed upon us by our creator. And similarly the fact you are an unelected fraud isn't why you don't get to take them away. For a right to be a right, we shouldn't have to beg a potentate for them on bended knee. You are not our creator and you don't get to take away what he has bestowed.

There are many reasons that you deserve a one way ticket back to Crawford but first among them is this speech. You have used a pulpit that Franklin Roosevelt used to defeat Hitler, Truman used to save Europe, Kennedy used to reach for the stars, Johnson used to fight a war on racism and poverty, and Clinton used to try to bring health care to all to sow division. You are the first President since Wilson to use that pulpit to advocate an amendment restricting people's rights. For that you should be sent back to Crawford to ride an SUV on your fake ranch. And sir, we will send you there.

Mr. President, history will judge you harshly. We will be happy to hasten that day. We don't hate you Mr. President, we hate what you have done. Your craven presence in the citadel of Democracy is more than we can bear. But it will almost be worth the joy of seeing you sent back to Texas and knowing we helped do it. We will fight you and we will win.

We are not angry, we are outraged. You have turned us into gays and lesbians first and Americans second. We deserve better. The country deserves better. You are neither compassionate nor conservative. True compassion wouldn't permit a two tiered system of rights and true conservatism would honor our Constitution. Our constitution is not some laundry list on which you can spill white out at will. True conservatives leave things alone. They protect our rights they don't trample them. Real conservatives know what history is, sir. You are no conservative. We will fight you, and we will win.

Mr. President, our rights are not milk money to be taken to feed your steroid habit. We know how to deal with bullies like you, we stand up to you and kick your ass. We won't scurry in fear. We will fight you, and we will win. Count on it and remember it when you take that long ride back to Crawford.

[Fovea]

3. Note to Karl Rove

Whooosh...

That giant sucking sound was this wedge issue, down the drain along with your boy.

[annxburns]

4. Ya know,

if I was a Christian conservative, I'd be pissed at how INCOMPETENT Bush Co is ....

[joeybee12]

5. I think I want to slap Santorum more than I do Bush these days!

Anyone else feel this way?

[eyesroll]

6. Yes, Senator Man on Dog, defending marriage is the ultimate homeland

security.
I'm sure the families of those who have died at the hands of terrorists have just been waiting for this very moment. "If only we defended marriage, then maybe my son would still be alive!"

I know I'll be waiting for the dirty bomb to go off in my living room, now that marriage isn't being defended.

[yellowcanine]

7. Vote was 50-48 or 48-50?? Linked article says 12 votes short of 60.

"The vote was 48-50, 12 short of the 60 needed to keep the measure alive."

[flpoljunkie]

8. I believe you are correct. 48 YES votes and 50 NO votes for cloture!

This is what was reported on the Senate floor. The AP apparently got it wrong!

Here is an AP link from the Washington Post that got it right!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49537-2004Jul14.html

By David Espo
The Associated Press
Wednesday, July 14, 2004; 12:56 PM

The Senate dealt an election-year defeat Wednesday to a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, rejecting pleas from President Bush and fellow conservatives that the measure was needed to safeguard an institution that has flourished for thousands of years.

The vote was 48-50, 12 short of the 60 needed to keep the measure alive.

"I would argue that the future of our country hangs in the balance because the future of marriage hangs in the balance," said Sen. Rick Santorum, a leader in the fight to approve the measure."Isn't that the ultimate homeland security, standing up and defending marriage?"

_______________

Senator Rick "Man on Dog" Santorum, really reaching here...

[ChompySnack]

9. Does anyone remember the threat to 'out' people who supported this?

I can't find the thread, but I'll bet that threat is what really derailed the bill. Look at the Repubs who voted against and they either have a conscience or they might just be protecting their own gay asses.

[Cocoa]

10. but Bush just called for this in his radio address

he's looking more and more like a lame duck.

[jobycom]

11. How bad has this stunt backfired on Bush now?

Not only does he look like a bigot and a grandstander to his opponents, but now he looks like a failure to his supporters. There will be some on his side who will blame him for not trying hard enough, or even wanting this amendment to fail.

Either way, he looks weaker because of it.

[Moderator]

12. Please discuss here,thanks

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=685124&mesg_id=685124