A look at one of the fifteen policy proposals put forth by Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell in his thesis and the extent to which he attempted to implement the proposal during his career as a legislator and attorney general.
Fight any attempts to redefine family by allowing special rights for homosexuals or single-parent unwed mothers.
I am not aware of any attempts by anyone anywhere to give gays “special rights.” I am aware of attempts to give gays equal rights. And McDonnell has fought that every step of the way.
As a legislator, McDonnell voted in 2004 in favor of HB751, the law which prohibited any arrangement “purporting to bestow the privileges or obligations of marriage” on same-sex couples. The next year, he voted in favor of the constitutional amendment, HJ586.
As one of his first acts, Governor Tim Kaine signed Executive Order #1, which prohibited discrimination on “the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, political affiliation, or against otherwise qualified persons with disabilities.” And as one of his first acts, AG McDonnell declared the executive order unconstitutional (pdf). With the passage of HJ41 and HB101, McDonnell took on the role as cheerleader in chief. Not only did he write the supposedly “neutral” instructions for the amendment, he defended the amendment in his live blog on this site (although he refused to answer my followup question).
As for “single-parent unwed mothers,” one of the biggest issues faced there is child care. I’ve previously mentioned some of those here. HB986, in addition to allowing local distribution of TANF benefits, also would have added an additional year of day care for persons whose TANF financial assistance is terminated. McDonnell voted against the bill. His votes to restrict access to contraceptives (HB1233, HB563, HB1741) help to create the very group of people he seeks to punish.
This, then, is another of the proposals in the thesis that McDonnell has attempted to implement.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
I don’t really agree with Bob 100% on this one, I think they should get equal rights, but I don’t think in the state code it should be called marriage. Just copy and paste everything, then find and replace “marriage” with “civil union” and I think everyone can shut-up and be happy.
On a funny note, my poli-sci teacher in college (before I dropped out) said giving gays marriage rights was a bad idea for this reason;
In 20-40 years when being gay is no longer a social issue, same sex adults who live together will get married just to take advantage of the tax incentives. With divorce laws as they are, they could get a divorce and keep all their stuff no problem when they decide to move out.
Sounds like McDonnell is in agreement with the 57% of Virginians who voted for the Marriage Amendment, and Deeds is in agreement with the 43% who voted against it.
No wonder McDonnell is ahead in the polls.
I think the person that is getting this on the head is Jesse Ventura. Marriage is something religious and state should not interfere. All “marriages” should be civi unions. But we can forget about that happening in America. Because of that, I think that gay people should be allowed to get married.
Secondly, there are other religions that allow gays to marry. If we allow polygamy for Muslims based on the right to practice religion as one wishes, why not let 2 Buddhist gays be married? Their religion allows it, so why can’t they get married?
We don’t allow Muslim men to marry more than one wife.
Notice that Ward Armstrong voted with McDonnell on all but two of the bills you cite above. On the TANF bill, Deeds had to vote to send it back to committee where it died.
Agree or disagree – McDonnell cannot make the claim that the thesis was an academic exercise. His attempts to implement its proposals proves that.
Did his opponent engage in such academic exercises?
Mouse – I’m really getting tired of you saying the same thing that is irrelevant to what I’m doing here. The Post looked at the writings of Deeds. Now, if you want to look at them and compare them to his legislative record, get a blog and get at it. Otherwise, stop posting the same inane junk over and over.
Got a link to that Post article? Got a link to Deed’s thesis?
It’s called “research,” Mouse. Try it.
I have a link to Deeds’ transportation plan.
http://www.this-page-intentionally-left-blank.org/
And that’s totally off-topic. Don’t make me ban you, too, Brian.
Are you sure that is not to McDonnell’s? =)
Did a search for “Deeds thesis” on the WaPo site. 92 results, and ALL were about McDonnell’s thesis.
Again, please post a link to the article you mentioned, and to Deeds’ graduate thesis, if you have it.
Why is McDonnell’s relevant, but Deeds’ is not?