Republican Bob McDonnellis trotting out a laundry list of female supporters and campaign staffers to testify that the GOP nominee and former attorney general's attitude toward working women bears little resemblance to the views expressed in his 1989 thesis at Regent University.
In the paper that McDonnell wrote as a 34-year-old graduate student, he argued that working women can be "detrimental" to the family. McDonnell was quick to point out that his wife has been working on and off for the past 37 years, and that he encouraged his two eldest daughters to pursue graduate degrees. McDonnell also repeatedly noted that one of his daughters serves in Iraq.
McDonnell also noted that half of his senior staff at the attorney general's office was female and that his 2005 campaign manager was a women. McDonnell said said that he wants to "absolutely and fully repudiate" any comments that appear derogatory to working women.
Democrat Creigh Deeds'senior advisor Mo Elleithee pointed out the stakes surrounding this flap when he said that 54% of Virginia voters are women - a crucial chunk of the state electorate.
The Republicans are hoping to quickly douse this story before it becomes uncontrollable, and what better way then to put forward the opinions of women who have worked closely with McDonnell? So here's the roster of folks vouching for hims along with their comments:
Judy Ford Wason, Williamsburg
"I know and have confidence in Bob McDonnell. He respects and surrounds himself with strong working women. His daughter served our nation in Iraq. His campaign manager in 2005 was a working mom. As Attorney General he appointed women to run the public safety, opinions, civil litigation and transportation/real estate/environment and technology sections of Virginia's Attorney General's office. As the former head of "Virginians for Mark Warner", and a pro-choice woman, I look for candidates who seek to bring people together and Bob McDonnell is doing this in his campaign. Bob has always respected and supported working women and will continue to do so. Virginians are worried about the future, not a decades-old academic paper. They are concerned about their jobs, the economy, public safety, education and transportation. These are the important issues that matter to men and women and these are the issues Bob will provide strong leadership to address as Governor."
Judy Ford Wason is the former Head of "Virginians for Mark Warner". She lives in Williamsburg.
Lisa Caruso, Commonwealth's Attorney, Dinwiddie County:
"As a former Democrat, and current elected official, I have seen Bob McDonnell lead on numerous initiatives to safeguard Virginia's women and children. His work to combat child pornography, sexual predators, and online criminals makes me proud as a Commonwealth's Attorney, and as a working mother. The women of Virginia know they have a friend in Bob McDonnell. His record proves it."
Lisa Caruso is the first woman to be elected as Commonwealth's Attorney for Dinwiddie County. She is the mother of two girls Mackenna, 4, and Delaney, 2. She is married to active duty army officer, Lt Col Anthony Caruso.
Janet Polarek, Richmond
"I ran Bob McDonnell's 2005 campaign. I did it while raising my beautiful daughter Reagan, who was two at the time. After Bob won the 2005 campaign he appointed me to serve as his Director of Administration in the Office of the Attorney General. It was not a novel occurrence to find Bob McDonnell in my office discussing the running of Virginia's law firm while Reagan colored on the floor. Today I serve on the senior staff of Bob's gubernatorial campaign. In every senior level position in which I have served, Bob McDonnell has been an exemplary, respectful, and understanding boss. Bob McDonnell has consistently and always gone the extra mile in every way possible to make sure I can balance work and family. I speak with direct experience when I say unequivocally that Bob McDonnell supports and champions working moms. He is a true friend to the working mothers of Virginia."
Janet Polarek is Chief Operations Officer of McDonnell for Governor. She formerly served as Director of Administration in the Virginia Office of the Attorney General and as Campaign Manager for "McDonnell for Attorney General" in 2005. She is the mother of Reagan Polarek, age 6.
Lisa Hicks-Thomas, Henrico County
"I am the mother of two beautiful children. Attorney General Bob McDonnell appointed me to serve as Deputy Attorney General for Transportation/Real Estate/Environment and Technology. I was honored to have been chosen. And I was even more honored to serve with an office holder who surrounded himself with strong working women. I'm not interested in a decades-old academic paper. I've actually served with Bob McDonnell in public office. I know who he is, I know how he acts, I know how he leads. He will be a great governor for Virginia. This working mother can think of no one better to lead our Commonwealth in the years ahead."
Lisa Hicks-Thomas is a Deputy Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia
Heather Young, Fairfax County
"I am a businesswoman and owner of an executive search firm whose clients include many successful women CEOs. Recently, I had the opportunity along with several other women business owners to sit down with Bob McDonnell to share our views on where we think his plan should stand. I'm not interested in academic papers written before the Berlin Wall fell. What I'm interested in is who has the best vision of how we can bring new jobs to Virginia and get this economy moving again. Bob McDonnell is by far the best candidate to get Virginia's economy turned around for the benefit of all of the working women and men of Virginia."
Heather Young is a Partner and co-founder of Fairfax County based Benchmark Executive Search, a retained executive search firm that specializes in recruiting senior leadership for technology companies nationwide. Heather lives in Fairfax County.
Jill Stelfox, Fairfax County
"I'm a Virginia working mother. I'm interested in a candidate's record and vision. Bob McDonnell has been a consistent and effective advocate for women and children in the Commonwealth. He led efforts to get drunk drivers off our streets, protect our children online, punish sexual predators, combat child pornography, fight gangs, and help victims of domestic violence. When he was author of Virginia's groundbreaking welfare reform bill he made sure that child day care was included and promoted so that more women could fully participate in the workforce. That's a record Virginia women can believe in. Bob McDonnell will be a great governor for the women, and men, of Virginia."
Jill Stelfox is the Chief Executive Officer of Accession Point, and is a proud working mother of two. Jill resides in Fairfax County.
Caren Merrick, Fairfax County
"Most Virginia voters know this election is not about a student paper from decades ago. It's about creating jobs, fixing our transportation and education problems, and making government work for the people of Virginia. Bob McDonnell has the ideas, experience, and bi-partisan track record to get Virginia headed in the right direction."
Caren DeWitt Merrick is co-founder of webMethods, Inc., an investor in early stage technology companies in Virginia. Caren resides in Fairfax County.
Kim White, Commonwealth's Attorney, Halifax County
"I work in public safety. Over the past four years I have worked with Bob McDonnell as he has led initiative after initiative to help keep Virginians safe. I've worked closely with his staff, including Marla Decker, who he appointed to head the public safety division of the Office of the Attorney General, and Lisa Hicks-Thomas, who he appointed to head the transportation/real estate/environment and technology section of the office. Bob surrounded himself in office with strong working women. He only had one consideration when it came to the individuals he placed into leadership positions: were they the right person to get the job done? Bob was a great Attorney General. He will be a great Governor. Virginians have watched him lead in statewide office. His record is what matters, not a decades-old academic paper."
Kim White is Commonwealth's Attorney for Halifax County.
Why don't we ask Verbena Askew what she thinks
Posted by: nancy white | Monday, August 31, 2009 at 08:53 PM