My candidate for best governmental aide of 2004 is Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's assistant press secretary, Julie Dobie.

Late Tuesday afternoon, I telephoned the governor's press office in Sacramento. I inquired about the massive lawlessness going on in San Francisco for nearly a week – with more than 2,000 same-sex applicants being given marriage licenses. This, of course, is a direct and deliberate violation of California's marriage law – by order of San Francisco's Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Ms. Dobie replied that the governor had issued no statement, and that the issue was in the courts.

I then replied that while two San Francisco judges had thus far refused to issue a court order stopping this massive lawbreaking, this violation of state law continued uninterrupted.

"Doesn't the governor of California have an obligation in the state constitution to see to it that the laws of the state are enforced – just as the U.S. Constitution so obligates the president? Was this obligation to see that the law is enforced in the governor's oath at his recent inauguration?"

Ms. Dobie very kindly looked up the words of the governor's inaugural oath.

There was no mention of the obligation to see that laws are enforced – which, she said, is probably in the state constitution. But there was a loyalty oath, the governor is obliged to swear that he is not now, nor has he been for 5 years, a member of any organization advocating the violent overthrow of either the governments of the United States, or California.

I expressed my hope that Gov. Schwarzenegger could at least issue a public statement about this San Francisco lawlessness.

Within three hours, I heard on ABC News that this governor had made a statement – for the first time on this issue – which statement was, unfortunately, not widely reported, except by the New York Post. The governor's statement was as follows:

Californians spoke on the issue of same-sex marriage when they overwhelmingly approved California's law that defines marriage as being between a man and a woman. I support that law and I encourage San Francisco officials to obey that law.

Earlier, Ms. Dobie told me that Gov. Schwarzenegger, while campaigning, had told syndicated talk-show host Sean Hannity that while he supports domestic partnerships, he believes that marriage is for one man and one woman.

Further indication of Schwarzenegger's position was the following, reported on Wednesday by the San Francisco Chronicle:

Aside from the court challenges, another wrinkle has emerged that could mar the status of the San Francisco licenses: State officials indicated Friday that the modified marriage forms that will eventually be sent from San Francisco to Sacramento would simply be returned without being officially registered.

California registers only couples whose marriages are documented on the standard-issue official state form. Therefore, San Francisco's move to change marriage license documents to make them gender-neutral may make them invalid.

This still leaves the illegal activity of Mayor Newsom of San Francisco – as well as 2,300 accessories to this lawbreaking who applied for and obtained these outlaw marriage licenses and marriages.