U.S. Senate Rejects Bid to Ban Same-Sex Marriage
By Thomas Ferraro
"We all know what this issue is about," declared Sen. Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat. "It's not about how to protect the sanctity of marriage. It's about politics - an attempt to drive a wedge between one group of citizens and the rest of the country, solely for partisan advantage."
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican, said: "Nobody wants to discriminate against gays .... Gays have a right to live the way they want. But they should not have the right to change the definition of traditional marriage. That is where we draw the line."
Polls show most Americans oppose same-sex marriage, but are split on whether a constitutional ban is needed. Surveys also find voters believe many other issues are more important this election year - such as health care and national security.
Bush in February called on the U.S. Congress to approve an amendment after Massachusetts' highest court ruled gay couples had a right to wed and San Francisco began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
This helped trigger a crush of lawsuits, some challenging the right of one state to refuse to recognize a same-sex marriage licensed in another.
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