City officials have argued that the equal protection clause of the California Constitution makes denying marriage licenses to gay couples illegal. If that's what they really think, then the proper starting point is to challenge the law, and if proven right, then repeal it - not to start breaking it first and arguing against it later. Otherwise, they open the door for anyone with a brain to be able to use the same argument for breaking any other law.
I have a SERIOUS problem with a Mayor using his authority to mount a Constitutional challenge.
How would the people cheering this Mayor feel if another Mayor was an ardent 2nd Amendment believer and starting handing out guns in from of the airport to passengers?
Civil disobedience to set up a test case I understand, but this is a blatant abuse of the authority of the Mayor. It needs to be stopped before we have government officials all over the country doing whatever they feel like with no respect for the law.