Illegal Procedure

Against the GOP. Five yard penalty. If the press would pick up this Tom Daschle quote, it might result in a loss of down, too:

I think you can only conclude, about the administration's priorities, that this constitutional debate [on denying marriage rights for gays] is more important than our national security or any other issue that is pending before the Senate right now.
-- Tom Daschle, news conference, 7/13/04

Source: Liberal Oasis, link via Timshel

And, via Team Atrios, here's a handy list of who's putting the phobe into homophobia. Note that neither of Louisiana's Senators made THAT list.

As for Edwards and Kerry not voting--I don't think it's much of a secret anymore that Frist is being an asswipe when it comes to scheduling Senate votes, either deliberately delaying the roll call or otherwise instructing GOP drones in the art of making either's vote an exercise in futility.

Still, it's a nice day when the Constitution of the United States still carries a little weight. Late last night I caught some of the debate on a C-Span replay, and watching clowns like Orrin Hatch try to justify adding a marriage amendment to the FREAKING US CONSTITUTION was not unlike seeing, say, a damn "Baby on Board" sign stuck to a Maserati. There are some things you just don't do, and this completely cynical attempt to try this stunt during an election cycle--to which Billmon once again goes home run derby on--speaks volumes as to the nature of the folks running the GOP these days.

Yesterday, I pointed out that Rove was apparently trying to drive at least a small wedge between African Americans--some of whom support the Marriage Amendment--and the Democratic Party. However, I doubt the vote will have much of an impact on the support of a large number of African American voters, who rightly see the GOP as the heir to the worst elements of the old Dixiecrat segregationists. Something tells me that one issue won't make for a forty year snub.

So, here's to celebrating a victory for us, and a defeat for them. Now, can we please move on to the REAL issues, like Daschle said? (god, I never thought I'd be citing Daschle with any degree of admiration).

Update: I didn't even think of this at first. While it would certainly be a most unlikely scenario, if Edwards and Kerry HAD gone to the Senate chamber--and then crossed party lines (were talking lotto odds here, but...)--the vote would have been 50-50, allowing for the new Senate rules Tom Burka wrote about to be put into play. By the way, check out Tom's main page--apparently the election was Bremered.