Winners and Losers

A recap of the week.

"Here's my strategy: we win, they lose."
-- Ronald Reagan

by Rod D. Martin
June 9, 2006

This was one of the more politically significant weeks in recent history. A recap of the winners and losers:

Conservative Senators. On not one but two key votes -- permanent Death Tax repeal and a Constitutional Marriage Protection Amendment -- conservatives led by Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) did what we've all been clamoring for them to do: stand and fight. They lost. It doesn't matter. They showed a spine. And they put their opponents on the record where it counts.

Democrats. The left reminded everyone this week what a Democrat majority would mean, with near-unanimous opposition to Death Tax repeal and near-unanimous support for gay marriage. Given that the conservative position on both issues enjoys 70-80% support among real voters, this may have been the death blow for a Democrat takeover this November.

John McCain and Lincoln Chafee. The usual RINOs (Republicans in Name Only) voted wrong, but t…