Va. Gov: Republicans take on McDonnell's thesis and record...

A handful of Virginia Republicans, including former Sen. Marty Williams of Newport News, are taking on Republican Bob McDonnell's 1989 thesis and saying that it matches his ensuing legislative record. 

Williams and Sen. Russ Potts and Del. Jim Dillard all served in the General Assembly for the GOP, but they have been willing to break with their party leadership especially during this campaign. After McDonnell released a transportation plan that relied on off shore drilling, future port growth and tolls on drivers coming in from North Carolina - the three men stepped away from the GOP to back Democrat Creigh Deeds. 

Now Williams, Potts and Dillard are stepping out to take on McDonnell's Regent University thesis which was penned when McDonnell was a 34-year-old graduate student at the Pat Robertson-led university in Virginia Beach. 

The 93-page paper including some unflattering references to women in the workplace, calling them "detrimental" to the family. The paper also takes on "cohabitators, fornicators and homosexuals." McDonnell has disavowed and repudiated the things he wrote about working women and said that the paper doesn't reflect his views, but rather was an "academic exercise" and part of a 20-year-old assignment that he has not considered or read in two decades. 

McDonnell said that voters should focus on his record in the General Assembly.

Williams, Potts, Dillard and Del. Katherine Waddell, an Independent, all said that the thesis and McDonnell's record are playing the same tune.      

"My biggest surprise is that he's running away from it," Williams said of the thesis. "I really do think that's who he is." 

Williams called McDonnell a "tremendously good person" and said he expects to be blasted by Republicans for critiquing the party nominee. But Williams reminded voters that he has never endorsed a Democrat before. Williams said he has always worked to find middle ground, and grew accustomed to members of the GOP calling him a RINO - a derogatory partisan moniker short for Republican In Name Only. 

"Anybody who thinks I jump off the shelf and support every Democrat is mistaken," Williams said. "This is the first Democrat I've supported and it might be the last."  

Potts said that the best political leaders govern from the center.

"Bob has never been about governing from the middle," Potts said. "He wants to govern from the far right. He believes that passionately and I respect him for that."

Potts noted that McDonnell carried 35 bills that would have restricted abortion rights.  

"He was out of the mainstream all those many years," Potts said. "The record is the record, I was there." 

Dillard said that McDonnell was "always pushing social issues" in the General Assembly. 

"The Bob McDonnell who is running for governor is not the Bob McDonnell who we knew and served with in the General Assembly," Dillard said. "It's a total re-invention of Bob McDonnell so he can be governor."

Waddell said that the thesis cannot be dismissed as th partisan musings of a young adult because McDonnell would enter the legislature only a few years after the paper was written. 

"You can run from yourself, but you can't run far," Waddell said.  

Comments

[T Montgomery]

The commonwealth needs more center thinkers like Marty Williams. Now is the time for all for us to act and position ourselves to do the most for our commonwealth and country. I have always been a republican and a firm believer of my country right or wrong but it is high time we take a good look at our state and country and get back on track. I,m sick and tired of politically correct speaking and thought, I'm tired of having to appoligize to one group or the other because I might have offended them, get over it. Ask yourself what made this country great and what we can do to continue this legacy. McDonnel should own up,come clean and just say what he honestly feels and thinks. How else can we begin to support an individual. Marty Williams for Governor. Hes got my vote at least he has the guts to say what he thinks.

[openid.aol.com/ThFunkyPresident]

To those who say that Mr. McDonnell was merely undertaking an "Academic exercise" or reciting the values of his professors for fear of getting a failing grade on his thesis, I ask you to consider whom he choose to study under at that time, and even better WHY???
In 1989 CBN University (not yet Regent, NOT AN ACCREDITED LAW SCHOOL AT THE TIME, and founded by Pat Robertson, a right-wing ideologue)was designed to be a brain trust for right wing christians to become certifed in law and public policy, so that they could change the political landscape and discourse in the Commonwealth. (Also, apparently they required its graduates to supplicate to this ideology in order to be receive credit.)
My question is, why did he choose to go to an unaccredited law school started by an evangelist and write a 90 plus page thesis outlining the prevailing morality of the school, unless he truly held these positions? (Let's face it - CBN/Regent is not UVA... or William and Mary... or Washington and Lee...or the University of Richmond - all outstanding law schools in the Commonwealth that he could have attended, which were fully accredited as law schools at the time, and further are institutions which espouse the free marketplace of ideas as opposed to forcing you to academically tow the party line in order to be recognized as a scholar and graduate.) Further, you don't choose to write a thesis on a topic which does not come to have a significant meaning in your life - you devote so much time to it, it had better be something you believe in. Mr McDonnell's legislative record reveals that he he still harbors these inner feelings to some degree, and although it may not be politically feasible for him to alienate working women at this time, I note he hasn't said much about homosexuals or fornicators in his back-peddling. Bob be a man and tell us why you went to a school that would make you say such things just to get a degree? Or maybe you really DID feel that way at the time, and have marginally changed your opinion about women in the workplace, but still don't care too much about their right to choose or if they love other women, or if they live with men out of wedlock. Here's the truth - Bob McDonnel, as nice as person as he may be, was and still is is an ideologue, just like Pat Robertson, his mentor. He should be man enough to admit it. Don't be fooled by the window dressing.

[Scott Hyland]

John Faircloth wrote: "Clearly, Mr. McDonnell's position are stated in his thesis. Let us understand that what he says is what we will get in Virginia."

Really, John? Exactly when, after having serving in the House and as Attorney General, did McDonnell act on those supposed ideological positions?

[Scott Hyland]

Will all the hoopla about McDonnell's thesis, has anyone even asked about any written by Deeds, or for that matter Obama? Since the latter's is/are hermetically sealed from public view, one is left with only the opinions in his earlier written works. Did not Obama make some rather incendiary comments about race, i.e. "white man's greed makes a world in need" in "Dreams of my Father?" That didn't seem to bother VA voters in 2008. Oh, wait... the media outlets didn't bother reporting THAT, did they? The hypocrisy stinks out loud.

[Rodgers]

If he had written this paper last week I'd say you have a point but it was over 20 years and as one person commented you have to agree with the teachers or fail. Thats the way "Higher Learning" is today and as long as I can remember (almost 70 years. I will vote for McDonnell because I think he is the best person for the job and not what party he belongs to or what he wrote 20 years ago. Wake up voters, do you homework and vote for the person you think will do a better job and not a party.

[Dean Cockrum]

Marty Williams, what a pieces of work and I would think most citizens would not consider him a Republican. Everyone remember Webb's views on women in the military?

[P. Adams]

Anyone who takes a moment to think back to college days, at state or religious schools, will remember that many of the things you wrote had to meet with the professors approval of THEIR views, more so than yours to get a good grade. It was that way when I was in college (35 yrs ago) and has been that way for all 4 of my children at the colleges they went to (local community colleges and Bible colleges). People change and grow hopefully.
And what is the difference between this thesis written 20 yrs ago and the book that Obama wrote (in which his views are supposed to have changed). It didn't create a barrier to his becoming President. Our government representatives need to stop jumping on every bandwagon from the past and judge by the present. I doubt if any of their lives could stand the scrutiny of judging their every thought from 20-30 yrs ago.

[jeffkramerak]

who knows what the deal is here...things have been crazy ever since the new year with politicians! They can't be trusted, PERIOD.

[John C. Faircloth]

Clearly, Mr. McDonnell's position are stated in his thesis. Let us understand that what he says is what we will get in Virginia. You can't change who you are as much as Mr. McDonnell would like to. His legislative record is so clear to these REPUBLICANS, who share his party and worked on the issues with him. I don't think that any reasonable Virginian could vote for Mr. McDonnell who represents a party faction so far to the right and so far away from the best interests of our state. Sorry McDonnell, I can't support you.

[Va Mom]

Oh whatever, McDonnell will and should win. One party rule is good for no one.