Gay Marriages in Louisiana (FMA senate vote count on amendment)

kplctv.com ^ | 02/24/04 | Reported by KPLC Staff

[jwalsh07]

Sen. John McCain said the matter should be left to the states..

Senator McCain was clueless on Mathews as regards the issues surrounding the marriage amendment. Mathews played devils advocate from the right and Senator McCain was rendered speechless. He just is not knowledgeable on the issue.

[AntiGuv]

The NAYs and the leaning NAYs (Snowe,Specter) are up to 30, versus 25 confirmed YEAs, and a lot of the hardcore leftists haven't checked in yet. It's not looking good at all for the FMA (34 NAYs will block).

[AntiGuv]

Maria Cantwell is against, bringing the NAYs up to 31.

[AntiGuv]

Gordon Smith supports the FMA, and the same article makes it official Ron Wyden opposes (I had assumed as much, since he voted against DOMA).

[AntiGuv]

John Ensign supports and Harry Reid opposes (from same article).

[AntiGuv]

Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) opposes. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) also opposes.

[puroresu]

I think the public has simply been "whipped". They feel it doesn't matter what they do, the courts will simply jackboot them into submission. Look at California and Massachusetts. In one state, the voters spoke and state officials are simply thumbing their nose at them, bragging that they'll find a judge to nullify the law the voters passed. In Massachusetts, the politicians are scrambling to find any way possible to keep the issue off the ballot.

At the federal level, the 'Rats are cynically opposing the FMA on states' rights grounds, knowing full well that once gay "marriage" is legal in even one state, the Full Faith & Credit and Equal Protection clauses will be invoked, nullifying states' rights on the issue.

A lot of people I know just seem resigned to defeat on this and on many more issues. No matter how we vote, the courts override us.

[jwalsh07]

It's very frustrating. In general the populace is very uninformed on what is going on. While they are aginst homosexual marriage by big majorities they are not well informed of the strategic use of the courts by our opponents.

But I don't blame them and I don't blame Bush. He lead, the rinos and democrat congresscritters will not take a position one way or the other. They Hem and haw and know whats coming down the pike or they are just plain stupid.

When Tom Delay starts spouting nonsense about 'all our options blah, blah, blah" and John McCain is ignorant of how the fait accompli took place in MAssachusetts it is tough to fight on. I called Delays office and they know one thing, Mr Walsh is not a happy camper. Too little, too late. Unless their constitutents do the same, we've lost.

[AntiGuv]

Here is the list as posted (by accident) in another thread. I am adding a few more question marks for now.

This is a work-in-progress. Based on press releases or media reports.

Support FMA (27 Senators)

Allard
Bond
Brownback
Bunning
Conrad ?
Campbell ?
Chambliss
Cochran
Coleman ?
Cornyn
Dole
Domenici
Ensign
Fitzgerald
Frist
L. Graham
Hutchison
Inhofe
Lott
McConnell
Miller (D)
Roberts
Santorum
Sessions
Shelby
Smith
Talent

Oppose FMA (34 Senators)

Akaka
Alexander (R)
Bingaman ?
Boxer
Breaux
Cantwell
Carper
Chafee (R)
Collins (R)
Corzine
Dodd
Durbin
Edwards
Feingold
Feinstein
B. Graham
Hagel (R)
Inouye
Jeffords (I)
Johnson
Kennedy
Kerry
Leahy
Lincoln ?
Lugar (R)
McCain (R) ?
Murray
Ben Nelson
Pryor
Reid
Snowe (R) ?
Specter (R) ?
Stabenow
Wyden

Question marks indicate somewhat ambiguous or wiggling-room statements. In most cases, they are simply instances where the Senator said "states should be left to decide" but did not declare explicit opposition to an amendment.

[AntiGuv]

Oh, wait. You're right! Burns is who I mean should be for (said he would work for it, but that 10% of him doesn't like amending the constitution) and Conrad gave some weasely response in the press that I couldn't make sense of one way or the other.

[AntiGuv]

I also left Daschle off the list of Senators against, so that makes it 35 (I'm getting sloppy).

[KQQL]

I would put a question MArk in front of ALEXANDER too...

he will likley vote for it.......when it comes to the vote.

I doubt HAGEL/COLLINS/Chafee will

[AntiGuv]

Clinton and Schumer have checked in, both opposing. Biden also opposes. Hatch supports, as does Kyl.

That makes 38 against and 28 in favor. I've moved Campbell into the undecided camp for now, because of contradictory statements.

[AntiGuv]

I think I would classify George Allen (R-VA) as a YEA with question mark.

[AntiGuv]

Robert Byrd (D-WV) seems to think DOMA is enough and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) is open to the idea. (Same article).

[AntiGuv]

Kent Conrad (D-ND) now says an amendment is not necessary.

[AntiGuv]

Tom Harkin (D-IA) is opposed. Charles Grassley is willing but wants to see the final wording. (Same article).

[AntiGuv]

Lautenberg is opposed, and the same article indicates that Specter is "not prepared" to support an amendment "at this time"..