FMA SUPPORTERS SHOULD FOCUS ON PENNA. SENATE RACE: From the Washington Times

It's not unlike a two-cushion shot in billiards: If the proponents of the federal marriage amendment want to succeed, they had better spend some time focusing their forces on next year's U.S. Senate primary in Pennsylvania. ...

I keep asking my friends in the pro-amendment camp, what are the odds of the FMA passing out of the Senate with Arlen Specter as chairman of the Judiciary Committee? Unless FMA forces push the measure through the Senate in 2004, a most unlikely prospect, this is what they may confront in 2005. The current Judiciary Committee chairman, Utah Republican Orrin Hatch, is term-limited. Mr. Specter is next in line to assume the committee chairmanship in 2005.

Over the years, Mr. Specter has not been much of friend to social conservatives. He is pro-choice on abortion, favors extending hate crimes protection to sexual orientation, and bizarrely invoked Scottish law to
cast a vote against conviction in Bill Clinton's impeachment.

Sen. Specter probably would not be enthusiastic about amending the Constitution to protect marriage, pre-empt the federal court's jurisdiction, and federalize state family law. And any marriage amendment, of course, must pass through the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. Specter's re-election next year could doom whatever chance the FMA might have in the Senate. Fortunately for amendment advocates, Mr. Specter faces a primary challenger. Rep. Pat Toomey is running for the Specter seat. If Mr. Toomey were to defeat Mr. Specter, the Judiciary Committee chairmanship would rotate to Sen. Jon Kyl, Arizona Republican. Therefore, the fate of the FMA could be decided by the Pennsylvania primary in
April.

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posted by Eve at 10:31 PM VOTE

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