WASHINGTON — When Senate Republicans scheduled a vote on a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, they knew it would fail. They were hoping instead to put Democrats -- and their expected presidential nominee, Sen. John F. Kerry -- on the spot.
But with the vote coming today, it is a divided Republican Party that will seal the measure's doom. And it is President Bush who faces a potentially embarrassing defeat in the Republican-controlled Senate on a measure he has pushed.
There may not even be a straight up-or-down vote on the measure. The amendment, which would define marriage as a "union between a man and a woman," may succumb to a filibuster if the Senate cannot muster 60 votes to limit debate and put the issue to a vote.
Republican sponsors acknowledged that they were far short of the two-thirds majority -- 67 votes -- necessary to pass a constitutional amendment. They pushed for a vote anyway to gain favor with social conservatives and to force Democrats to cast a potentially difficult vote just weeks before their party's national convention.
"It's purely and completely symbolic politics," said William Lunch, a political scientist at Oregon State University, "because the votes are nowhere near there to send the amendment out to the states" for ratification.
But the amendment has caused discomfort within the GOP's ranks, despite Bush's support for it.
Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lincoln Chaffee of Rhode Island, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and John McCain of Arizona have come out against the amendment.
Collins told reporters Tuesday: "I see no need for a constitutional amendment ... at a time when we already have a federal law on the books that protects the rights of states to define marriage as between a man and a woman."
Even Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), usually a reliable GOP vote, expressed concerns about the wording of the measure, saying it could prevent states from passing legislation dealing with civil unions and domestic partnerships.
A few other GOP senators, including Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, have not said how they will vote. Specter, who barely beat back a primary challenge from a more conservative Republican, is working hard to gain the support of social conservatives. But if he votes for the amendment, he could alienate the suburban swing voters he needs to win in November.
