By Rosalind S. Helderman
Fresh off his landslide victory in the race for Virginia governor, Bob McDonnell is already being forced to confront how he plans to handle his friendship with minister Pat Robertson, a longtime ally but also a controversial figure, once he takes office.
Virginia Muslims are calling on McDonnell to disavow comments made last week by the Christian broadcaster from Virginia Beach in response to the shootings at Fort Hood, Texas. Robertson asserted that Islam is "not a religion" but a "violent political system" and that those who practice it should be treated like members of a communist or fascist party.
Robertson has made similar assertions about Islam before, but the recent comments came only a couple of weeks after he made a late $25,000 donation to McDonnell's campaign and just days after he attended McDonnell's election-night party. He told a reporter there that he would be visiting McDonnell in his hotel suite while awaiting election results.
During the campaign, McDonnell played down his ties to Robertson, whom he has known since he attended the law school Robertson founded in the late 1980s. McDonnell tried during the race to convince Virginians that he was a social conservative who could speak more broadly to issues that cross party lines.
But Robertson's comments last week suggest he might prove to be a political liability as McDonnell, a Republican, seeks to turn his bipartisan campaign promises into a governing coalition.
Now assembling his administration before his Jan. 16 inauguration, McDonnell is under scrutiny from Democrats and others to see how he balances his allegiances to the social conservatives who helped elect him with his pledges to spend most of his time in office focused on jobs and the economy.
"McDonnell has tried to suggest he should be judged on his own actions and not on Robertson's comments," said Virginia political analyst Robert Holsworth. "But the fact of the matter is he does have a major contributor who has made these comments. My guess is that he will not be able to simply say 'no comment' himself forever."
Like President Barack Obama, who formally denounced remarks by his former minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, McDonnell will probably face continued questions about Robertson's stands through his four-year term, Holsworth said.
McDonnell spokesman Tucker Martin would not comment last week, saying only that McDonnell is "focused on the transition as he prepares to take office in January."
The stance was disappointing to Mohamed Magid, imam of the All Dulles Area Muslim Society Center, a mosque in Sterling that hosted McDonnell for lunch during the campaign.
Although McDonnell should not be held responsible for Robertson's comments, Magid said, "I would rather see him say something in defense of Muslim Americans in Northern Virginia.
"He promised and campaigned to be the governor for all Virginians. Therefore, we expect him to distance himself from such remarks of hate toward very contributing, very loyal Americans in this area."
Speaking on his television program "The 700 Club" on Monday, Robertson said the military had overlooked warning signs from Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the suspect in the attack that left 13 people dead and dozens wounded, out of a politically correct refusal to face the truth about Islam.
"Islam is a violent - I was going to say religion, but it's not a religion. It's a political system. It's a violent political system bent on the overthrow of the governments of the world and world domination," he said. "I think we should treat it as such and treat its adherents as such, as we would members of the Communist Party or members of some fascist group."
Chris Roslan, a spokesman for Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network, said the minister stands by his statement.
"It is a shame that the media are exploiting this now in a clear attempt to discredit Virginia's governor-elect, who has absolutely nothing to do with Dr. Robertson's position," he said.
McDonnell attended law school at what was then called CBN University, the Virginia Beach institution founded by Robertson and named after the Christian Broadcasting Network, whose studios share the campus. After the school changed its name to Regent University, McDonnell served on the board of trustees for eight years and last year spoke at its law school graduation.
According to the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan group that tracks campaign giving, McDonnell received donations just before the election totaling $40,000 from Pat Robertson, his son and his daughter-in-law.
In all, Robertson donated $35,000 to his campaign for governor and $66,000 to his campaign four years ago for attorney general.
But McDonnell was careful not to embrace Robertson too closely while running for office. At a dinner for the Richmond news media last winter, an event at which politicians traditionally give humorous speeches, McDonnell cracked that he planned to call Robertson and request that he send a hurricane to hit the Democrats' annual gala.
He also said in an interview this year that he and Robertson did not become well-acquainted until years after he was first elected to office and that the two men speak only once or twice a year.
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right wing extremist in charge of Virginia
McDonnell is a wolf in sheep's clothes, he was able to win running against an opponet who was both incompetent and impotent. Just he because he has a nice smile and good looking daughter doesn't hide the fact that deep down he is a religious right wing extremist. Don't be surprised when McDonnell moves to implement Robertson's agenda. National Democrats will expose him for the extremist he is.
This country was founded on
This country was founded on the greed generated by raw products and crops. Religion had nothing to do with it. While God or religion was often mentioned in print, which was common in that day, in no way did the men who led the way do so in a religious manner or purpose. The idea that religious freedom as the original building block of this country is flawed, it still carries a a false truth to those who remember learning this in school. More intensive studies in higher education will show this not to be the case. The founding fathers were more concerned with corn and tobacco than religion. I remember a public speaking instructor saying he believed in the pious beginning and the class started laughing, It's just not true.
Another lib suppressing the truth...(yawn)
>>I hope you're not suggesting that christianity and the bible are the guiding forces for the declaration of independence and the constitution.
Apparently what I'm suggesting doesn't matter to you since you already assumed I did. Of course there aren't scripture references, but it's clear that our founding guiding documents were penned by men who deeply held conviction in God. Wow, like where do we begin with that? Ever been to a place called Washington DC? hello?
>>George Washington was a christian but he also hated the influence of religion in politics.
Of course GW was a Christian and his convictions clearly guided his decisions and worldview. How could he hate this influence? He didn't leave his faith at the door when he went to work every morning. Your point is...?
>>So to answer your question, the epiphany of the incompatability of religion and politics came from the founding fathers themselves.
That's insane. You're either reading too much Mother Jones or Norm Chomsky. This government was CLEARLY founded upon a predominance of Christian men with clear biblical convictions. And this goes to the heart of matter with your ilk: you somehow think a per
not true
The founders were suspicious of religion, read the constitution, nowhere does the word bible or christian appear! You guys claim to love "freedom", maybe you should read the document that guarantees that freedom!
"with clear biblical convictions"
Such as slavery.
Women cannot vote.
It's truly amazing,
that some posters give thumbs down to facts of history,( easily found in many legitimate books of history), & facts based on recent reports by the US Dept. of Defense, just because their "state of mind" is one of no-fault only within those who look, believe & or accept as they.
Have You Noticed?
I saw nowhere in the Washington Post article where democrats or liberals tried to associate McDonnell with Robertson. The only time the word "Democrat" was used,came from a quote from McDonnell. But the right wing diehard consevatives are doing a good job of it by trying to defend Robertson. I guess talking about Obama and Rev. Wright has come back to sting them.
Use God to justify violence
Many posts have discussed the Christian religion's violence (definitely not what Jesus would have done), much has been made of Muslims violence in recent history, we must add in our Jewish brethren. Moses and David were extremely violent and practiced apartheid in the name of God. I can’t think of any Buddhist violent history but I may be missing something.
I often feel sorry for God. All these religions claim him/her/it. It is time we realize that God has very little to do with religion. Religions are man made institutions that usually do very good things but are capable of extreme violence. Free God from Religion!!
I
believe that committing murder is wrong, period. It doesn't matter as to the criminal's faith, ethnicity, etc. It doesn't matter if it rises to the level of "terrorism" or not. I also know that some people have become so mentally unbalanced that they believe their murderous act is actually rational or even honorable. This occurs in people of all types, faiths , etc. I don't make excuses for this person as I don't make excuses for any other murderer, regardless of their faith.
Actually,
lynchings have taken place in the USA in this & recent decades. A White, Christian, American Sgt. killed six of his fellow soldiers at Camp Liberty, in Iraq, last spring. Klan members openly profess their Christian faith as the basis for their deeds, as do the other White, Christian, Supremacy groups. Believe me, there are more members of White, Christian, Supremacy groups serving in the US military than there are members of fanatical Muslim terrorist groups serving.
Dementia Strikes Pat Again
Our Governor-Elect should run, not walk away from any connection whatsoever to Pat Robertson. He used to be a pretty bright person but he lost his lucidity a number of years ago.
What he said about Islam is no different than someone looking at a couple of Christian extremist groups and stating that Christianity is a nothing but a political hate organization.
CBN needs to do the same thing if they don't want to become a laughingstock.
violence? pat robertson?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/06/AR2006010601135.html
"Robertson, who ran for president in 1988, has a history of controversial statements. In August, he called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, then denied the remark, and a day later, apologized for it. "
direct quote from bush
"Islam is Peace"
Good for the Goose!
If the President Of The United States Of America can be associated or have been associated with hate mongering racist nut jobs and still be president then why not our Governor? 20 plus years attending a racist church is far worse than this. Pat is a nut just like all religious fundamentalists who are the cause of 90% of the worlds death and destruction since recorded history began. The only present difference is no Christians are strapping on explosives and walking into Muslim markets or flying planes into buildings in Muslim countries.
Equality means "what is good for the goose is good for the gander"
Real Facts
Christians did those things. And some of those can't even be laid at the feet of organized religion. Actually only the crusades and the Inquisition can. But there is no current, concerted effort by Christianity (as a religion) to slay those of other religions, take over their countries, and subjugate their women with Sharia law.
Guess who's going about that right now? Muslims! They're not hiding their goals, they're telling us loudly what their intentions are. Convert us or kill us. And spread Islam everywhere. Their doing it globally but more worrisome is that they're doing right here in the USA. Using our very freedoms to hide behind while they plot our destruction. And we seem to be powerless to stop them. Held in check by political correctness and bleeding heart liberalism.
Keep hating Christians if you want to. Those of us who aren't afraid to be non-PC are watching the real threat.
So what?
You're right. Christians did all that. So what? What exactly does that have anything to do with terrorism, or this story?
Anyhow...those things happened many, sometimes hundreds of years ago, but you think it's ok for muslims to be acting like this now?
He never said that
nor did I. It was a response to some of the uneducated here who believe that christians never did such things as muslims today. And again I mention Eric Rudolph, Paul Hill, Scott Roeder. Murder is wrong no matter the religious motivation. I won't whitewash what islamic extremists do, and I won't do it for other myth believers. It is wrong. ANd while I'm at it shall we discuss the ethnic cleansing by both sides in Bosnia. Seems I remember one side was christian, the other muslim.
It's a good analogy
FYI...The Holocaust and Klan lynchings didn't happen many years ago. It's a perfectly accurate comparison.
OMG
So they know each other. So, he made a donation to McDonnell.
That doesn't mean anything. Robertson can say what he wants, it's called freedom of speech, just like that hatemongering muslim in New York can spew his filth, because of freedom of speech.
get a grip.
And NOW!
Speaking of Muslim POWER!
Now our genius president is allowing HIS Attorney General *Dumo* to bring FIVE (5) Terrorist to New York (USA) to stand trial for planning the murder of 3,000 AMERICANS!
1......MEDIA Dream.......this will be worse than the OJ Simpson or Rodney King Trials! And the sick Media will LOVE this!
2......MUSLIM Dream......they will be given the *stage* to toot their jihad (holy war) in one of the most important cities in the WORLD!
3......Security Nightmare..Bloomberg is WRONG...this will be a security nightmare....picketing & rioting!
4......WHY should they be given the same rights as a U.S. citizen????
They were NOT read their "Miranda rights"....grounds for a mistrial?
5......Khalid Shaikh Mohammed pleaded GUILTY until he found out that he was being given his fantasy JIHAD Trial in N.Y.