WASHINGTON — If everything goes right for advocates of marriage equality, gay and lesbian couples everywhere could be celebrating their right to marry by the Fourth of July in 2013.

Eight years after opponents of same-sex couples' marriage rights claimed state amendments banning such marriages helped keep President George W. Bush in the White House, marriage equality's supporters now find themselves as close as they've ever come to their goal.

"We are now literally within months of getting a final resolution of this case that began three-and-a-half years ago," said David Boies, one of the lawyers behind the challenge to California's Proposition 8 that is now before the Supreme Court.

"We are all encouraged and excited about the prospect that we will finally get a decision on the merits with respect to marriage equality," Boies, who joined former Bush administration Solicitor General Theodore Olson in bringing the suit on behalf of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, said Friday.

since most of these old fogeys (no disrespect my friend +o) are about to retire don't think they want to leave as their legacy the scotus that took the mostus from Americans