Yanking defeat from the jaws of political victory, Senate Democrats let Sen. Susan Collins of Maine screw up their key culture war messaging yet again. The vote on marriage equality is going to be postponed until after the election because, well, there’s no good reason. So Republicans can prove how bigoted they are after Nov. 8?
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, apparently and for no discernible reason based on history, was convinced that Collins would be a true bipartisan and get Republicans lined up behind the basic idea that two adults should be able to get married and enjoy the benefits of that union regardless of their race or sexual orientation. Making Republicans say yes or no to that before November’s election was important for voters to see.
What Sen. Elizabeth Warren says:
Having that vote in the immediate aftermath of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s abortion ban neutron bomb was going to be even smarter! Republicans have been thrown into total disarray over abortion, and this vote would have intensified that. It would have given them the opportunity to show voters just how deep their bigotry runs. Or not.
There’s absolutely no guarantee this delay does anything to ensure the bill passes. Nothing. What it does is let Republicans off the hook. It’s simply political malpractice.
RELATED STORY: Collins’ delay game on marriage equality got her desired result: No vote before the election
