Upon Further Review, Part I

I am sure supporters of Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell and Attorney General Kenneth Cuccinelli feel my and other individuals' criticism that both men are unopposed to discrimination against homosexuals in the workplace is either unwarranted or exaggerated. (Anyone can see that it's neither by reading a January executive directive from McDonnell and a recent statement issued by Cuccinelli.) But in case that isn't enough proof, let's take a closer look at other questionable aspects of the gentlemen's backgrounds:

McDonnell
To fulfill the requirements for the degrees of Master of Arts in Public Policy and Juris Doctor in Law from Regent University (as a reminder, this educational institution was founded by Pat Robertson), McDonnell wrote a thesis titled "The Republican Party's Vision for the Family: The Compelling Issue of the Decade" in 1989. Here are just some of the excerpts from that thesis:

• "Today, the U.S. Census Bureau defines family as 'two or more people related by blood, marriage or adoption and residing under the same roof". Such a definition, while accurate in its sterile terms of defining logistics and membership, fails to include the convenantal bond of commitment at the core of family life." Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC), etc. all supposedly had that "convenantal bond of commitment" while they were cheating on their wives. How did that work out for them?
• The Family Protection Act of 1981 refused to acknowledge "homosexuality and abortion as acceptable behaviors and actions".
• "A dynamic new trend of working women and feminists...is ultimately detrimental to the family."
• "The model programs and consensus surveys favored by Republicans largely reflect values that are wholesome and good for individuals and families and should be taught in homes, schools, churches and businesses across the nation." Can someone explain to me then why conservatives complained so much when President Obama delivered his speech earlier this year to the nation's schoolchildren?
• "With a character education program, the federal government would not just encourage the development of good character but would assume to authority to define what it is." Sounds a lot like big government to me.
• "Democrats are likely to redefine family in a way that labels what was once deviant as acceptable."
• "For Democrats, family policy encompasses such concepts as the creation of national health insurance, increased minimum wage, guaranteed minimum income...and mandatory parental leave." The horror!
• "Every level of government should statutorily and procedurally prefer married couples over cohabitators, homosexuals or fornicators."
• "Fight any attempts to redefine family by allowing special rights for homosexuals or single parent unwed mothers."
• "The giftedness of the Republican philosophy is that it embraces the talents and worth of all peoples, while Democrats seek to shepherd a nation of powerless incompetents." Unless, of course, certain groups within "all peoples" include homosexuals and single parent unwed mothers.

Cuccinelli
1. During an interview with "The Virginian-Pilot" in October 2009, Cuccinelli refused to commit to a non-discrimination policy against gays and lesbians: "My view is that homosexual acts, not homosexuality, but homosexual acts are wrong. They’re intrinsically wrong. And I think, in a natural law based country, it’s appropriate to have policies that reflect that. They don’t comport with natural law. I happen to think that it represents, to put it politely (I need my thesaurus to be polite), behavior that is not healthy to an individual and in aggregate is not healthy to society."

2. On last year's campaign trail, Cuccinelli plays the role of an alarmist regarding the federal government: "We're gonna have our seventh child on Monday, if he's not born before. And, for the very concerns you state, we're actually considering – as I'm sure many of you here didn't get a Social Security number when you were born, they do it now – we're considering not doing that. And a lot of people are considering that now because it is being used to track you."

3. When asked truly eloquent questions about President Obama's eligibility to be President of the United States, Cuccinelli delivered the following comments:

Q: "What can we do about Obama and the birth certificate thing?"
A: "It'll get tested in my view when someone - he signs a law and someone is convicted of violating it and one of their defenses will be it's not a law because someone qualified to be President didn't sign it."

Q: "How can we get proof?"
A: "Well, that's a good question. Not one I've thought a lot about because it hasn't been part of my campaign. But, I mean, someone is going to have to come forward with nailed down testimony that he was born in place B, wherever that is. You know, the speculation is Kenya. And that doesn't seem beyond the realm of possibility."

4. In February of this year, Cuccinelli filed a request for the United States Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to reconvene its proceedings regarding the negative effect of greenhouse gases on public health. According to Cuccinelli, the EPA's findings will supposedly have "far reaching consequences for the citizens of Virginia and the nation".