Bill Frist's Last Stand

It appears the G.O.P. is preparing to continue their practice of playing politics with people's lives

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Monday he plans a vote in early June on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, a move likely to fail but sure to spark a fiery election-year debate.

Frist, a Tennessee Republican, told CNN he's planning the vote for the week of June 5 because he wants to deal with the issue "as early as possible" before the Senate calendar fills up in a busy election year.

Frist said he doesn't know how many votes the ban will receive, but Republican and Democratic aides privately acknowledged the vote will probably fall far short of the 67-vote supermajority needed to advance a constitutional amendment.

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One of the golden rules of Congress is making sure that you have the votes necessary to advance whatever issue you bring to the floor. Frist and the rest of the Rethuglies know that this amendment will fail, but they're interested in ramping up support from their gay-hating base for this fall's elections by painting the Democrats as "out of the mainstream".

This whole ploy is unconscionable, but then again, when have their actions ever been to a progressive's liking.