Arizona governor's veto of 'Turn away the gays' bill fires up Twittersphere

'A sad day for Arizonans,' says one conservative group

Arizona Republican Gov. Jan Brewer speaks at a news conference announcing she has vetoed SB1062, a bill designed to give added protection from lawsuits to people who assert their religious beliefs in refusing service to gays, at the Arizona Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014, in Phoenix. (Ross D. Franklin/AP) (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer's veto of a controversial bill that would've allowed business owners to deny services to gay customers on religious grounds sparked an immediate reaction from Twitter users on both sides of the issue.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, for one, applauded Brewer:

As did gay rights activist and former "Star Trek" star George Takei:

But conservatives, like the Center for Arizona Policy's president, criticized Brewer for cowering:

Tony Perkins, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Family Research Council, denounced Brewer for trampling on "people's religious freedoms":

The divide was captured perfectly in a pair of tweets from major newspapers — the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal — which described the vetoed legislation in distinctly different ways:

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