A test for Dean

Much has been made of the 'change' Howard Dean has brought to the Democratic Party.  Various incarnations of the, "Dean inspired the Dems to return to their core beliefs - with passion!" sentiment have been asserted by plenty of pundits.

Well, today Bush has thrown down the gauntlet.  That sentiment is about to be tried by fire.

If the dems in the Senate cave and let this amendment process go to the states, I think we can safely say that not much has changed at all.  If we can't stand on the principle of equal protection for all (non-sequiter:  isn't it ironic that the same principle was used to install Bush?), what principles can we stake a claim to?