Marriage Equality Now Seattle

From Reuters, via the Washington Post: Arlen Specter and other Republicans in the Senate judiciary committee agreed to bring the federal marriage amendment up for a vote in the Senate. Specter said he doesn’t support it but thinks it should be voted on anyway. The interesting thing is that Sen. Russ Feingold, who has already said he supported full marriage equality, ended up walking out of the meeting in frustration.

“If you want to leave, good riddance,” Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter told Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Russell Feingold, who refused to participate because, he said, the meeting was not sufficiently open to the public. “I’ve enjoyed your lecture too. See you later, Mr. Chairman,” Feingold told the Pennsylvania Republican before storming out.

Right, don’t worry about the NSA surveillance scandals, the war in Iraq, gas prices, global warming… Let’s discuss “real problems” like how the world will end once same-sex couples can marry!

Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, the committee’s top Democrat, said the gay marriage ban was a waste of time for a committee that needs to tackle a wide range of other pressing issues, from judicial nominations to oversight of the National Security Administration’s domestic-spying program.

If you haven’t done so yet, remember to contact your Senators and tell them you strongly oppose the federal marriage amendment!