Amend the Amendment II - This is why bringing the FMA to the floor of the Senate was a bad idea for both parties. According to morning news reports (see both the WaPo and the WashTimes) Republicans are now divided over whether to allow multiple votes on different versions of the Federal Marriage Amendment. For the GOP, the problem is that in its present form, the amendment may not even get a simple majority, an embarrassing political miscalculation considering the measure needs 67 votes for passage. Plan B is that, if watered down to the single definitional sentence "marriage is the union between a man and a woman," the FMA might gain a few more face-saving votes. Democrats, who were going to allow an up-and-down vote on the original, unpalatable version, are looking to end this debate with the lowest vote count possible, so we may have a cloture vote after all.

You have to hand it to the Democrats. They may not be overwhelming champions of gay marriage, but they relish any opportunity to give the GOP a resounding defeat. Memo to the HRC: You are much more likely to achieve your objectives when you meld your goals with the partisan needs of elected officials to skewer the other side.