Supporters lose in gay marriage ban vote

[cal04]

The Senate on Wednesday rejected a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, dealing a defeat to President Bush and Republicans who hoped to use the measure to energize conservative voters on Election Day. Supporters had predicted they would gain votes this year over the last time the issue came up, in 2004, but actually lost one vote for the amendment in a procedural test tally.

Wednesday's 49-48 vote fell 11 short of the 60 required to send the matter for an up-or-down tally. The 2004 vote was 50-48. A majority of Americans define marriage as a union of a man and a woman, as the proposed amendment does, according to a poll out this week by ABC News. But an equal majority opposes amending the Constitution on this issue, the poll found.

"Most Americans are not yet convinced that their elected representatives or the judiciary are likely to expand decisively the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples," said Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz., a possible presidential candidate in 2008. He told the Senate on Tuesday he does not support the amendment.

The tally Wednesday put the ban 18 votes short of the 67 needed for the Senate to approve a constitutional amendment, which requires a two-thirds vote. But the defeat is by no means the amendment's last stand, said its supporters.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060607/ap_on_go_co/gay_marriage

[skipos]

1. Is there a list of how senators voted? nt

[Baclava]

7. Shy 11 votes to go to a final debate

nevermind

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

2. Glad it failed but

so sad that it was so close

[Indykatie]

3. I Want to See What Dems

voted in favor of the ban. I'm sure a list of the votes will be posted soon on-line.

[Oreo]

13. Byrd and Nelson

Every report I saw only said Nelson would vote with the hate party

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

14. Byrd??? Mr Constitution voted "yea" ???

what gives ?

[Idioteque]

17. He voted for cloture, but opposes the amendment.

Ben Nelson is the only one that actually supports the amendment.

[eppur_se_muova]

28. Ah, thanks for that clarification. nt

[cal04]

4. Roll call vote

YEAs ---49
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Burr (R-NC)
Byrd (D-WV)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-NE)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Stevens (R-AK)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)

NAYs ---48
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Clinton (D-NY)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dayton (D-MN)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
McCain (R-AZ)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Sununu (R-NH)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 3
Dodd (D-CT)
Hagel (R-NE)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00163

[iamjoy]

8. McCain Voted Nay?

Is he trying to re-establish that maverick reputation?

Too little, too late for me.

[mvd]

25. He's a REAL flip-flopper

If he runs, we have our attack message handy.

[Oreo]

12. Byrd was a yea?

I thought only Nelson was supposed to be a bigot

[OnionPatch]

16. I used to have such respect for him

But now the feeling I have toward him is "betrayed."

This wasn't the first vote he made with the conservatives. He voted for Alito. That was the end of any respect I had for him but each time I hear he votes this way, it sends a pain through my heart.

[mvd]

26. Unbelievable

I'm almost wondering if he knew what he was voting for.

[gully]

19. A perfect example of the "difference between the two parties."

eom

[theHandpuppet]

24. You know what I think as I read this list?

Why in the hell is there even such a thing as a Log Cabin Republican?

[Rainscents]

29. It always puzzled me too.

I just don't understand it. Maybe they just like to get beat up by their own pary... it's call, abused spouse syndrome.

[HughBeaumont]

30. What a surprise.

Both Duh-High-Ah Senaturds Voinobitch and DeSwine voted Yea. GOD this state needs to do a cleansing of these religious right bastards out of our offices.

[sutz12]

5. Campaign issue.....

He voted for bigotry.

I voted against bigotry and I'm proud to say I did.

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. What a waste of hot air

Has if there weren't real problems facing our country.

[ThatsMyBarack]

9. IL: Nice to know....

....Obama and Durbin NAYed this! :applause: :woohoo:

[Critters2]

10. You didn't think they vote "yea" did you?

Their votes were a given. Obama even belongs to a pro-gay church. (He's UCC)

[xultar]

11. Buhwawawawawawawawawawa!

They didn't even get 51%

[swimboy]

22. Hooray!

Those sorry assholes!

[Heidi]

15. Kicked

and nominated. :thumbsup:

:kick:

[progressoid]

18. 49 voted for....

jeez, that's scary.

[Biernuts]

20. What we have to be ready for is another move

I am very confident that the ban will never get through the Senate - they couldn't end debate to have the actual vote. One thing could change all that.

What happens when states start calling for a Constitutional Convention? Article V provides for a Constitutional Convention when two-thirds of the states call for one. That's just 34 states. The real wild card is that a Convention is not limited to one issue but opens up EVERYTHING - only 38 states are required to ratify any amendment and congress isn't involved one iota. Just think of all the other issues that would be introduced at such a convention.

Making Abortion Exclusively a State Issue/Congressional Term Limits/Permissive Gun Rights, maybe even concealed carry, for all adults not insane or a felon/School Prayer/Limiting Federal Court Jurisdiction/Mandatory Retirement for Justices & Judges/Making Federal Judges subject to removal by the electorate/Abolishing Filabusters for Presidential Nominees/National Voter ID Cards/Tax Law Changes/Limits on outside income and gifts for Congress, and the list goes on and on.

So, my prediction is that if state legislatures begin calling for a Constitutional Convention on preventing Gay Marriage, 2/3 of the House and Senate will quickly pass it when the number reaches 28. Otherwise, Congress could wake up with a Convention it can neither control nor influence. (The number 28 is pure intuition on my part - I have no data to back it up.) I'm not saying the constitution is perfect (for example, there's no article making every American give me one dollar), but a Constitutional Convention is a risk that Congress will avoid at all costs.

[robbedvoter]

21. Notice the nagative title and tone of the article? Oh, the humanity!

They lost!

[JetCityLiberal]

23. The bigots lost in Washington State yesterday too

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/272954_eyman06ww.html

The guy pushing this is an ass who uses initiatives to line his disgusting pockets, glad hate lost in Washington State and THRILLED to see this vote in D.C.

This was ALWAYS about pandering to their hate filled base. Guess this means some other attack will be coming before election day...

[MattP]

27. No way about the convention

I don't think you could ever get 34 or 38 states to pass anything in the time alloted, look at the Equal Rights amendment, it passed congress and most of the states needed and died on the vine. It got ratified by 35 states.