Senate Braces Itself for Fight on Gay Marriage

The New York Times > Washington: "Admitting upfront that they do not expect to win, conservatives are preparing to plunge the Senate into an election-year fight over a Constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. More precisely, conservatives say, they do not expect to triumph in the Senate, whether the main showdown comes on a procedural issue or on the amendment itself. But they say they expect to get one thing they very much want: a vote that puts every member of the Senate on record on an issue that both Republicans and Democrats see as a political wedge.

Senators John Kerry and John Edwards both oppose the proposed amendment, saying that while they do not support same-sex marriage, the issue should be left to individual states to decide. Spokesmen for Mr. Kerry and Mr. Edwards said they did not know whether the candidates would be in Washington for the debate and votes next week. Ms. Cutter noted that Mr. Kerry and Mr. Edwards have said they support gay rights, oppose gay marriage and oppose the amendment. Mr. Kerry and Mr. Edwards are getting some pressure to attend the Senate session from opponents of the amendment, who want to defeat it by the widest possible margin. "