"Gay marriage" not destined to survive

The House's only openly gay Republican denounced his party Thursday for voting on a constitutional amendment to ban &to=http://english.pravda.ru/world/20/91/368/13782_gays.html' target=_blank>same-sex marriage in an emotional and often personal debate that sent the measure to its legislative grave.

"I wish that I could seek time from my side of the aisle to speak for basic human rights," said Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz. "Unfortunately, the misguided effort to enshrine family law into the Constitution of the United States comes from this side, so I am grateful to the minority for offering this time."

The renamed Marriage Protection Amendment won a 227-186 majority, but fell 49 votes short of the two-thirds approval required for passage, reports SFGate.

According to Newsday, Democrats countered that Republicans were motivated by election-year politics as much as anything, particularly because a Senate vote this year ended any immediate chance the amendment could be sent to the states for ratification. The measure drew the support of 191 Republicans and 36 Democrats. Voting against it were 158 Democrats, 27 Republicans and one independent. New York's delegation voted along party lines.