Democrats Remained Divided Over Assisted Suicide

A major reason that assisted suicide has not moved beyond Oregon in this country is that the Democratic Party remains divided about the issue--despite some of its more left leaning members seeking to transform the issue into a Democratic Agenda item. Proof is in the inability of Democrats Patty Berg and Lloyd Levine to pass A.B. 651 last year in the California Legislature--both houses of which are dominated by Democrats.

Further proof of this can be found in the vote breakdown by party in Vermont, which just defeated assisted suicide:

Democrats: 55 Yes --- 36 No
Republicans: 2 Yes --- 45 No
Other: 6 Yes --- 1 No

Total: 63 Yes --- 82 No

Good for the no-voting Democrats who have not forgotten that the party is supposed to be about protecting the most vulnerable of society's members.