Dems Promised Gay Marriage Before They Discovered They Would Loose Votes

Change.  They promised change.  That is all we heard during this election.  Change. 

Many interest groups poured money into different democratic campaigns on the promise of this change.

From the NY Times:

After a pledge from New York Democratic leaders that their party would legalize same-sex marriage if they won control of the State Senate this year, money from gay rights supporters poured in from across the country, helping cinch a Democratic victory.

But now, party leaders have sent strong signals that they may not take up the issue during the 2009 legislative session. Some of them suggest it may be wise to wait until 2011 before considering it…..

(T)he debate has created two camps among lawmakers who back the bill — with one group saying a vote should happen as early as possible in 2009, and another camp arguing for an indefinite delay.

(NY Senator) Mr. Smith, speaking about same-sex marriage at a fund-raiser for the Empire State Pride Agenda last year, was emphatic, saying, “We’re going to make sure that happens in ’08, when we take over the majority.” He now avoids questions on the topic and instead gives a standard reply about the need to focus on the economy when asked about it.

Asked about when (NY Senator) Mr. Paterson would like to see the Senate vote, the governor’s communications director, Risa B. Heller, said, “For now and the immediate future we are focused on the state’s fiscal situation.”

Is it just me, or could this be the biggest flip flop in political history?  Now, why are they wanting to postpone a vote they promised they would do once they won the majority?

Some of them suggest it may be wise to wait until 2011 before considering it, in hopes that Democrats can pick up more Senate seats and Gov. David A. Paterson, a strong backer of gay rights, would then be safely into a second term.

Many are still stung by California voters’ approval this month of a measure that reversed a court decision that gave gay and lesbian couples the right to marry…..

(O)ther factors will have to be weighed, like whether the timing is too politically risky for the governor.

In other words, Change will have to wait until they can establish that no change will be made in the next election.  Change will happen on the hope the We The People change our minds on how we feel.  How secure of a vote should this be?

The Democratic-led Assembly passed the measure last year by a sizable margin, but the Republican-controlled Senate declined to bring it to the floor for a vote.

So, the dems passed the measure with a sizable margin when there was no chance of it being brought to an actual vote but when they have a majority they won’t get enough votes for it to pass?  How much of a Majority in the legislature do they have?

Democrats hold a majority of seats in both chambers of the Legislature, along with the governor’s office, for the first time since the 1930s.

Some Democrats are not even confident they have the 32 votes necessary to pass a same-sex marriage bill in the Senate.

Tick, Tock - Flip Flop.

Tags: Gay, politics