Jon Huntsman and Meg Whitman. (AFP/Getty; AP)
What is going on in the Republican Party? In a major departure from the national party’s stance—and even from past statements by the candidates—at least 75 Republicans signed a legal brief on Monday that says gay people have the constitutional right to marry. The brief will be submitted to a California court this week as part of a suit against the state’s controversial Proposition 8, a 2008 ballot measure that outlawed gay marriage. Among the signatures were 2012 Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, former California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman—who campaigned for Proposition 8 during her run—and several high-profile officials from the Bush and Reagan White Houses—although prominent pro-gay-marriage Republicans Laura Bush and Dick Cheney had not signed yet.