Eighty years or so ago, when a few renegade states were giving women the right to vote and suffrage was gaining national momentum, a main excuse of male legislators opposing the idea was that "the country wasn't ready for it."

Curiously, this was almost exactly the justification used by Sen. Patty Murray last fall when she voted for the hateful "Defense of Marriage Act" banning federal recognition of gay marriages.

Now, homophobic bigotry is in full display once again. The State Senate last week passed a similar bill; sponsors say if they can't override the promised veto they'll put it on the ballot in November. So here's Patty, quoted--months after the damage is done--as having second thoughts about DOMA. And: "I can assure you that I will really continue to look at it."

Murray is no relation, by blood or spirit, to state Sen. Ed Murray, Washington's only openly gay legislator, whose blistering attack on the floor against the bigotry of his colleagues was remarkable for both its eloquence and its bluntness. Instead, Patty's career since being elected alongside Bill Clinton in 1992 has been remarkably similar to Clinton: claim socially liberal credentials while doing the opposite, and then express regret afterwards. In addition to DOMA, Patty has supported welfare "reform, " backed military spending and corporate welfare, shielded the salvage logging rider from serious challenge, and has generally served corporate America well by putting her populist "mom in tennis shoes" schtick on a voting record indistinguishable from any other conservative Democrat.

Activists on issues like gay marriage, Hanford, the environment, and welfare reform have rightly targeted Murray for pressure. She deserves it. She's up for re-election in 1998. Nothing she's done in four years has earned her the right to support of people concerned about progressive issues. If she wants that support, she'd better stop apologizing and start voting like she means it.