Goldwater Rolling in His Grave

WASHINGTON WIRE

States' Gay-Marriage Battles
Signal Constitutional Hurdles

By JACKIE CALMES
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

GAY-MARRIAGE battles in states signal hurdles for a U.S. amendment.

Indiana House is paralyzed as majority Democrats block a Senate-passed state ban. In Idaho, a Republican Senate committee chairwoman shelves a House-passed ban as "divisive." A bipartisan vote in Wyoming kills an anti-gay-marriage bill. But Michigan and Iowa measures advance. In Missouri, Democrats fret push by foes of gay marriage to put the issue on November's ballot.

The Democratic National Committee boasts a record 24-hour haul, $166,000, after a fund-raising e-mail from Bill Clinton to two million loyalists coincides with Bush's call for a ban in U.S. Constitution. Clinton didn't cite gay marriage, but party leaders credit activists' anger for the response. Pro-gay rights and libertarian Republicans lament Bush move.

"Goldwater is rolling over in his grave," says Republican activist Charles Francis.

EY: Francis is the founding Chairman of the Republican Unity Coalition.