Vermont Governor Jim Douglas (R) has indicated that he will veto the gay marriage bill that is expected to come to his desk sometime this or next week. While I strongly disagree with his decision I have to admire the fact that he has the courage of his convictions.

As Douglas himself has said, the odds are very strong that the bill will become law anyway. It passed the Vermont Senate by a vote of 26-4 and is expected to pass the House by a similar margin. Democrats control the House by a 2-1 margin so it is likely they will have the votes to override the veto.

Douglas could have recognized this fact and just let the bill become law without his signature, thus avoiding a veto override that could be harmful to his political career. But he has said that felt that he had to stand by his own beliefs. There is no evidence that Douglas is in any way homophobic and he has been a strong supporter of civil unions as well as a number of laws to protect gay rights.

So while I do not support what he did, I do respect someone standing up for what they think without taking the politically expedient route.