Here is the short of the story first... commentary follows.

SACRAMENTO, California (AP) -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Wednesday he will veto a bill that would have made California the first state to legalize same-sex marriage through its elected lawmakers.

Schwarzenegger said the legislation, approved Tuesday by lawmakers, would conflict with the intent of voters when they approved an initiative five years ago. Proposition 22 was placed on the ballot to prevent California from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states or countries.

"We cannot have a system where the people vote and the Legislature derails that vote," the governor's press secretary, Margita Thompson, said in a statement. "Out of respect for the will of the people, the governor will veto (the bill)."

And now for the fun part. The commentary.

"Out of respect for the will of the people" is a joke. First of all, Proposition 22 was voted on in 2000. In that time, public opinion has changed regarding gay rights. In fact, a recent poll found that the state was evenly split on the issue of marriage equality. 46% favor and 46% oppose.

Second of all, the duty of these legislators is to vote based on the will of their constituents - meaning 'the people'. Both legislative bodies approved the bill.

Right-wingers throw around the term activist judges - more than Rush Limbaugh throws down prescription drugs. So when Arnold wants the issue to be decided by the courts, I am perplexed.

Another item that has me confused is this statement made by Arnold. Schwarzenegger "believes gay couples are entitled to full protection under the law and should not be discriminated against based upon their relationship," the statement said.

"He is proud that California provides the most rigorous protections in the nation for domestic partners," it added.

These so called protections are little to be desired and can easily be reversed once California has a vote on marriage equality in 2006, as the initiative will also strip away the domestic partnership laws. It is incredibly insulting and utterly transparent when Arnold claims to be so 'pro-gay rights', yet when it comes down to actually having to do something about it - he chooses statewide discrimination. The only reason that he could be doing this is that he is pandering to the far right for his re-election. Arnold must need all the help he can get with the record low approval ratings lately - approval ratings that happen to be in the low 30% range. He has nothing to lose and much more to gain if he thinks that he has a chance for re-election. Instead, he finds himself in the pocket of the right-wing special interest groups.

I'm calling bullshit, Arnold.

Gov. Schwarzenegger must know that either way, whether he vetoes or signs the bill into law, this move will be his legacy. It's historic on every level. He has this chance to do what he has stated is the right thing to do... so where is the action being taken? Come out on the issue, don't be a pussy, don't hide behind your press secretary and make her do your dirty work. Oh, and fire your advisors if you want to be re-elected, because a veto on AB 849 will kill your future bids for a gubernatorial position.

Written by Bryan Harding

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 08, 2005 at 12:32 AM. Want to discuss? Leave a comment below.