Star Ledger to Lawmakers Man Up on Marriage

The Star-Ledger, the largest newspaper in New Jersey, published an editorial Friday that takes to task Democrats wavering on marriage equality in recent weeks.

The Newark-based newspaper invoked the results of a Rutgers-Eagleton poll released on Thursday that shows voters support marriage equality, albeit by a slim margin of 46% to 42%.

"Maybe they should take a look at the latest poll, and man up," wrote the Star-Ledgereditorial board."Like other polls on this question, this one shows that most people in New Jersey are greeting this supposed threat to civilization with a collective shrug. The public is way ahead of the politicians on this one."

Both houses of the legislature could vote on the marriage equality bill in the lame-duck session that begins Monday, but this week Democratic senate majority leader Steve Sweeney seemed to suggest that the bill should take a backseat to the economy. The suggestion sparked a sharp rebuke from state senator Loretta Weinberg (pictured), the lead sponsor of the marriage equality bill and former running mate of Gov. Jon Corzine, who lost to antigay governor-elect Chris Christie.

Sweeney later clarified his remarks to say he thinks the bill should come up in the lame-duck session.