The New York State Senate has voted down Governor David Paterson’s political future – er, I mean, has voted 38-24 against a bill which would have legalized same-gender marriage in the Empire State. The bill had been twice passed by the lower house of the state’s legislature: once in July, 89-52, and for a second time last night, 88-51. Many in the state’s democratic leadership spoke eloquently in favor of the bill, including Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada and (my personal favorite while watching the debates) Senator Diane Savino, who may become an overnight celebrity with her description of how she could easily get married to a pedicab driver who randomly accosted her on her way to work a few days ago, while her colleague Senator Thomas Duane could not marry his partner of many years.

Governor Paterson introduced the measure last month, to more than a bit of ridicule. His approval ratings were in the toilet, and it seemed as though he was trying to use same-gender marriage as a Hail Mary pass to save his political bacon. Duane, for his part, blamed his Democratic colleague’s “contagious lack of backbone” for today’s defeat. (h/t Huffington Post, Towleroad)