Arnold does the right thing, for the right reasons

I blogged yesterday about the fact that the California legislature -- ignoring the weight of human history, and the fact that, a mere 5 years ago voters sided with history -- blithely decided to legalize gay marriage in California. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has supported gay marriage, has nevertheless opted to veto the bill, and done so precisely because the Legislature, whatever the moral merits of its vote (a subject that is easily open to debate), has overstepped its boundaries:

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, given final approval 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)."

The bill's supporters immediately accused the Governor of pandering, which may well be true, considering the bitter election coming up in August regarding Schwarzenegger's attempt to defang some virulent unions, but I don't care. Aside from the fact that I like Schwarzenegger, I think he did the right thing by blocking a Legislative power grab. Hat tip: Captain's Quarters