Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman said over the weekend that, if elected, she would defend the California law that outlaws same-sex marriage.

A reporter for the Sacramento Bee asked the former eBay chief if she would defend the law in light of its run through the court system. A U.S. District Court judge recently overturned Prop. 8, but a stay of that decision means that same-sex partners still can't be legally wed at least until an appeal with the U.S. Ninth Circuit court is decided. Here's what Whitman had to say:

“The issue right now is, as I understand is 'Will Proposition 8 have the appropriate support to actually make an appeal to the circuit court of appeals?' And I think the governor, the attorney general today has to defend the constitution and has to enable the judicial process to go along and has to enable an appeal to go through. So if I was governor, I would give that ruling standing to be able to appeal to the circuit court.”

The revelation comes on the heels of Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley's own pronouncement that he would also defend Prop. 8 if he's elected to the Attorney General's office.

But Whitman? It's a head-scratcher. She's taken heat for her somewhat moderate stance on immigration and her embrace of Latino voters. What would make her think that shutting out the pro-same-sex-marriage crowd would do her much good in a statewide race?

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