Republicans would rather commit electoral suicide than protect marriage equality

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Even as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is preparing to call for a vote to enshrine same-sex marriage as law, the prospects for its success are dwindling. Thanks to the Senate’s arcane (and racist) filibuster rules, ten Republican senators would have to sign on to the measure in order for it to succeed. Right now, that’s looking like a very iffy proposition.

When the House voted on the Respect for Marriage Act in July, a surprisingly large number of Republicans – 47 – joined Democrats to pass the bill. The bipartisan nature of the margin led to widespread speculation that the measure would garner similar support in the Senate.

At first, that seemed to be the case. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell didn’t take a strong stand against the bill, The number two ranking Republican, Sen. John Thune (R-SD) appeared equally unconcerned about how his colleagues voted.

“As you saw, there was a fairly significant vote — bipartisan vote — last night in the House of Representatives,” Thune said following the House vote. “And I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case in the Senate.”

Much of the focus has been on Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI). His fellow senator, out lesbian Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), is leading the charge in the chamber for the bill’s passage. At first, Johnson said he didn’t “see any reason to oppose” the legislation.

But within a month, he changed his tune.

“This is just Democrats, you know, opening up a wound…

Read full story, and more, from Source: Republicans would rather commit electoral suicide than protect marriage equality