Saturday, June 6, 2009

Why I Support Bob McDonnell for Governor

I was looking over my blogposts and realized I have not written much about why I support Bob McDonnell. This is largely a result of the fact that he had an uncontested nomination and did not need any support or defending in the lead up to the convention. However, I think it is important that we as conservatives rally behind Bob McDonnell for governor. He has a track record that while not perfect is very impressive. Below I seek to highlight Bob McDonnell's record as a social conservative.

As a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, Bob McDonnell was responsible for some of Virginia’s key family values legislation in the 1990’s. By 1995 attempts to pass a parental notification law had failed in the state senate Virginia for 18 years. As a result of Bob McDonnell’s leadership and hard work it became law. As a delegate Bob McDonnell also helped pass Virginia’s partial birth abortion ban, a resolution upholding marriage as between one man and woman, and fought hard for home schoolers and choice in education. As a result of his hard work Bob McDonnell was named the VA Legislator of the year in 1998 and 2001 by the Virginia Family Foundation

As Attorney General, Bob McDonnell has continued his record of fighting for traditional values. When the Virginia Marriage Amendment was up for a vote in 2006 Bob McDonnell actively supported it and published a brief which refuted many of the criticisms of the amendment. In May of 2008 the US 4th Circuit Court of appeals ruled the Virginia partial birth abortion law unconstitutional. Instead of simply yielding to the judiciary, Attorney General Bob McDonnell successfully filed a brief asking the court to review its decision. On the issue of religious freedom HSLDA has worked hard to pass a Religious Freedoms Restoration Act in Virginia. For a couple years it was unsuccessful, but when the Attorney General’s office testified in favor of it, it passed. Not only has Bob McDonnell fought hard for traditionally social conservative issues, Bob McDonnell has also fought to limit the size of government. Bob McDonnell established the Attorney General’s Task Force on Regulatory and Government Reform. This group created a list of over 250 specific regulations and policies Virginia should cut in order to reduce the size of the state government. As Attorney General Bob McDonnell continued what he did in the House of Delegates, working hard for the values that we hold dear.

Bob McDonnell does not claim to be a conservative because it is politically convenient; he has a proven track record of fighting hard for our shared values. If you believe in the sanctity of life, strong families, religious freedom, homeschooling, or limited government, I hope you will join me in working hard to see Bob McDonnell elected our next governor over the next five months. We have an opportunity in Bob McDonnell to gain ground on many important conservative issues. With Bob McDonnell as governor we will have a friend in the governor’s mansion who will work tirelessly on behalf of the issues we hold dear.

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