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ON DRUDGE NOW

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered California's attorney general Friday to take legal action to stop San Francisco from granting marriage licenses to gay couples.

In a letter to Attorney General Bill Lockyer, Schwarzenegger directed the state's top lawyer "to take immediate steps" to get a definitive court ruling declaring what the city is doing to be illegal.

"You have, at this point, nearly two weeks of flouting of state law. The governor feels that we've come to a point where we're starting down a dangerous path and it leads to anarchy at some point," said Rob Stutzman, Schwarzenegger's communications director. "It's time for this to end."

Stutzman said that Schwarzenegger's directive to the attorney general was prompted in part by a Superior Court judge's decision Friday not to impose a temporary restraining order on the city that would have halted the weeklong parade of 3,175 same-sex weddings.

Lockyer, an elected Democrat who is a potential candidate in the 2006 governor's race, already has said that he plans to vigorously defend the state in the lawsuit San Francisco's city attorney brought Thursday that challenged California's marriage laws on constitutional grounds.

"By virtue of the city and county of San Francisco having sued the state of California, we need to respond to that lawsuit in the next 30 days," said Nathan Barankin, a spokesman for Lockyer said Friday. "It will be squarely before the courts

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who directed the county clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples last week, has defended his actions by saying California's Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

The mayor's spokesman, Peter Ragone, scoffed at Schwarzenegger's directive to the attorney general, noting that two judges have already declined to grant emergency orders sought by two conservative opponents of marriage rights for gays and lesbians.

"The truth is, thousands of people are involved in loving relationships and having them recognized for the first time," Ragone said. "We urge the governor to meet with some of the couples because what's happening is both lawful and loving."

Lockyer, an elected Democrat who is a potential candidate in the 2006 governor's race, already has said that he plans to vigorously defend the state in the lawsuit San Francisco's city attorney brought Thursday that challenged California's marriage laws on constitutional grounds.

Lockyer is lying. He has control of every law enforcement apparatus in the State. He could have shut down that courthouse in hours. He's playing this like a fish.