IOKIYAR, or when does a VA Attorney General have to defend a law?

The conservatives are up in arms because the new Attorney General of Virginia,  Mark Herring, refuses to defend the state's cruel anti-gay union law.  The AG considers it unconstitutional.

Never fear, the law will be defended by the Usual Suspects, thanks to several clerks also named in the suit. In fact, arguments were heard yesterday.

Let's have a quote from the Virginia A/G:

“I will not defend what I, in my judgment, deem to be an unconstitutional law.” “If I determine it not to be constitutional,” he explained [in a debate], “I will not defend it. My first obligation is to the Constitution and the people of Virginia.”  (source)

Oops .... I'm sorry.

That wasn't a quote from (Democrat) Mark Herring, but from his (Republican) predecessor, Ken Cuccinelli.

Apparently, it's okay to refuse to defend a law that you consider unconstitutional if you are a Republican A/G.  It's just a problem if you are a democrat.

The stench of hypocrisy....

(More from ThinkProgress)