Asked If His Thesis Advocated A ?Radical Agenda,? Bob McDonnell Replies ?No?
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on September 28th, 2009 4:35 am by HL
Asked If His Thesis Advocated A ?Radical Agenda,? Bob McDonnell Replies ?No?
Last month, the Washington Post revealed that Virginia’s Republican gubernatorial candidate, Bob McDonnell, had written a master’s thesis at Regent University in 1989 “in which he described working women and feminists as ‘detrimental’ to the family,” said that “government policy should favor married couples over ‘cohabitators, homosexuals or fornicators,’” and criticized “as ‘illogical’ a 1972 […]
Last month, the Washington Post revealed that Virginia’s Republican gubernatorial candidate, Bob McDonnell, had written a master’s thesis at Regent University in 1989 “in which he described working women and feminists as ‘detrimental’ to the family,” said that “government policy should favor married couples over ‘cohabitators, homosexuals or fornicators,’” and criticized “as ‘illogical’ a 1972 Supreme Court decision legalizing the use of contraception by unmarried couples.” After reading the thesis, TPM’s Eric Kleefeld and Zachary Roth said it represented “a manifesto of the anti-gender-equality right-wing.”
The thesis has since become a central issue in McDonnell’s race against Democrat Creigh Deeds. On Fox News Sunday today, host Chris Wallace asked McDonnell if his thesis represented a “radical agenda.” McDonnell replied that it did not:
WALLACE: … it was revealed that in 1989 you wrote a master’s thesis in which you said — and let’s put up some of the things on the screen — this has obviously been a big issue here in Virginia — The new trend of working women and feminism that is ultimately detrimental to the family. You criticize tax credits for child care. And you even opposed a Supreme Court ruling legalizing birth control for married couples. Mr. McDonnell, isn’t that a pretty radical agenda?
MCDONNELL: No. I think those are a couple of quotes out of a 100-page document, Chris, and what the whole purpose of the — of the thesis was to say, Look, families are the bedrock of society. And I think there’s broad agreement on that, and that government programs should not undermine the family, because that will lead to more government spending for problems that occur when the family’s not intact.
Watch it:
When McDonnell said the thesis was “20 years ago and some of my views over time have changed,” Wallace played a clip from an ad being run by Deeds, which said that McDonnell has supported his thesis agenda as a legislator. “In fact, we checked the record. As a legislator, you voted against a resolution that would have called for ending wage discrimination based on gender,” said Wallace. “You voted against extending child care services. And you voted against extending or requiring health insurance plans to cover birth control. So it’s not just the thesis.”
Romney Touts Fox Nation Website As Ticket To GOP Political Success ?In 2010 And The Years Beyond?
Earlier this year, the so-called “fair and balanced” network launched its Fox Nation website, an opinionated online forum. Fox VP Bill Shine said, “We’re calling it a mix between the Huffington Post and Drudge,” and asserted that the network’s reporting is “aggressive but not ideological.” Promotional materials for the site claim: “It’s time to say […]
Earlier this year, the so-called “fair and balanced” network launched its Fox Nation website, an opinionated online forum. Fox VP Bill Shine said, “We’re calling it a mix between the Huffington Post and Drudge,” and asserted that the network’s reporting is “aggressive but not ideological.” Promotional materials for the site claim: “It’s time to say NO to biased media.” Apparently, leading Republican officials didn’t get the talking points.
In a video posted on YouTube, top GOP figures — like Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX), Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) — urge viewers to click on Fox Nation. But the most interesting endorsement came from former Gov. Mitt Romney, who touted the site’s political impact:
Hey, FoxNation.com and my fans there, they’re the best. Congratulations to you guys for getting that up there. Keep it going. I hope that we get a lot of strength, and that helps us in 2010 and the years beyond.
Watch it:
In the video, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) said the site provides a “great forum, I think, for some robust debate.” For example, the site has asked whether parents would “keep your kids home the day Obama speaks to schools,” wondered “is Obama targeting Catholics,” and questioned if the health care debate is “a showdown between Socialism & Freedom.” Robust indeed.