12 votes down

The Federal Marriage Amendment died in the Senate today, it fell 12 votes short of the 60 required to end debate and move the amendment to an up or down vote. The best arguments I heard during the debate (besides the ones I've made) are as follows...

Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona said:

The constitutional amendment we're debating today strikes me as antithetical in every way to the core philosophy of Republicans. It usurps from the states a fundamental authority they have always possessed and imposes a federal remedy for a problem that most states do not believe confronts them.

Senator Tom Daschle, Democrat of North Dakota said:

In 217 years, we've only amended that sacred document 17 times. There have been 11,000 separate attempts. No urgent need exists to amend the Constitution now.