Ban on Gay Marriage Fails!



Washington Post



The
Republican-controlled Senate yesterday blocked a proposed
constitutional amendment to bar same-sex marriage, effectively killing
the White House-backed measure for the rest of this year and handing
[pseudo-]pResident Bush a big election-year defeat.



The vote
was 48 to 50 against bringing the initiative to a vote, 12 short of the
60 needed to limit debate and move toward final action on the
amendment. [Kerry and Edwards did not vote.]



Bush had
pushed hard for the amendment, but, with six Republicans joining nearly
all Democrats in blocking the initiative, the vote appeared to cast
doubt over how well the marriage issue is likely to play in the
pResident's [election] campaign and many of the closest congressional
races.



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