In the wake of a larger-than-expected 38–24 defeat for same-sex marriage in the State Senate last week, gay-rights activists are placing targets on the eight Democrats who voted “no.” People like Ruben Diaz Sr. and Darrel Aubertine, who were never expected to support gay marriage, won’t be as much of a concern as senators such as Queens’ Joseph Addabbo, who was elected last year with the help of the gay community. But the focus on wayward Democrats doesn’t mean that marriage-equality advocates will shift their support to the Republican Party. After all, not a single GOP senator who voted backed last week’s bill, and the ones that were considered gettable haven’t provided very reassuring explanations. Sen. Roy McDonald of Saratoga, for example, claims he voted against marriage equality because he’s “focusing [his] time on the things that the public wants [him] to do.” Strange — we didn’t realize saying “yes” was so much more time-consuming than saying “no.”
Gay advocates see bloodbath for New York Dem ‘no’ voters [NYDN]
Red ink for Joe’s friends [Times Union]
