Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Editorial: McDonnell's early test
The governor-elect remains silent on Pat Robertson's outrageous attack on Islam.
From the RoundTable blog
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Gov.-elect Bob McDonnell and religious icon Pat Robertson go way back together. McDonnell is a graduate of Robertson's Regent University Law School, and the two have been closely aligned almost ever since.
Robertson and his family donated $40,000 to McDonnell's gubernatorial campaign, and on election night, the minister joined the candidate in his hotel suite to await the returns. Four years ago, Robertson gave $66,000 to McDonnell's run for attorney general.
Throughout his political career, McDonnell has pushed Robertson's socially conservative agenda.
Having Robertson in your corner can help a Virginia politician, but there is a price. He has a habit of making embarrassingly stupid remarks, and he made one last week. Now, McDonnell must decide whether he is blindly loyal to his mentor or will be the leader for all Virginians, as he promised on the campaign trail.
Robertson has put that promise to the test probably sooner than McDonnell anticipated.
On his television program "The 700 Club" last week, Robertson responded to the shootings at Fort Hood that allegedly were carried out by a Muslim member of the military. The evangelist said Islam is not a religion but a political system out for world domination. He added that America should treat Muslims as if they were members of the Communist Party, whatever that means a half century after the McCarthy era.
A sensible person would immediately reject that denigration of an entire faith. A sensible politician would seize the opportunity to lead by pointing out that such rhetoric only spreads unjustified fear of and animosity toward one group in the wake of tragedy.
When President Obama's minister, Jeremiah Wright, spouted equally offensive and stupid rhetoric, the candidate disavowed it.
McDonnell remains silent when asked to repudiate the views of his friend and mentor. He fails his first test of leadership.
It is easy to mouth platitudes about tolerance and inclusion. It is harder to stand up in defense of another faith when Americans are frightened by a terrible act they associate with Islam.
