After Outcry, SOPA Backers Are Mainly Democrats

The push for antipiracy legislation brought lawmakers together for much of the past year, but in the Senate at least, the support that remains after nationwide protests appears to be mostly from Democrats.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is moving ahead with plans for a test vote on the legislation Jan 24, but the Senate's top Republican, Mitch McConnell (R-KY), called for a postponement, citing "serious issues with this legislation." At least 14 Republican senators announced their opposition to the legislation this week as thousands of Internet sites, including online encyclopedia Wikipedia, went dark Wednesday to protest the bills. Seven Democratic senators said they either had serious concerns or couldn't support the legislation in its current form, adding their voices to a handful of Democrats who had previously opposed the bill.