The Washington Post's editorial board takes the McDonnell campaign to task today, calling it "disingenuous and wrong" for Bob's campaign to try and duck a legitimate discussion about abortion. Read the article for yourself, or check out some of the highlights below.
"The short answer is the Deeds message dents the moderate, pragmatic image that Mr. McDonnell has nurtured in the past few years. To win in November, Mr. McDonnell needs to appeal to centrist Democrats and independents in the state's most populous region, Northern Virginia. And a fair number of his positions -- for instance, allowing pharmacists to refuse to dispense contraceptives or banning college health centers from distributing morning-after pills while opposing abortion in all instances -- may not sit well with middle-of-the-road voters in Northern Virginia and elsewhere."
"Mr. McDonnell has made much of his opposition to Democratic legislation in Congress concerning energy (cap and trade) and labor (card check) that, as governor, he would be in no position to influence. By contrast, determining access and limits on abortion remains to a large extent within a state's, and a governor's, purview. All the more so if the Supreme Court were to strike down Roe v. Wade, which could throw the entire topic of abortion into state legislatures. As Mr. McDonnell himself told the National Right to Life Committee in Arlington last year, state lawmakers are critical in determining "whether or not you're going to have a pro-life state where protections are given to the unborn consistent with federal court decisions or whether you're going to have a different kind of policy."
Still not convinced? Here's the latest ad from the Democratic Party of Virginia, highlighting just how backwards Bob McDonnell's priorities really are.
