Breaking: For it After He was Against It (Bob McDonnell's New Non-Discriminiation Policy)

by: KathyinBlacksburg

Wed Mar 10, 2010 at 18:15:16 PM EST

Shortly after his swearing in, Governor Bob McDonnell broke recent tradition by refusing to advance an executive order forbidding discrimination regardless of sexual orientation. Many of us here, including the editorial staff of BC, stand in opposition to discrimination based upon sexual orientation.  

But today, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Bob McDonnell shifted his non-policy concerning non-discrimination.  He reversed himself by issuing such an order.

"Discrimination based on factors such as one's sexual orientation or parental status violates the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution. Therefore, discrimination against enumerated classes of persons set forth in the Virginia Human Rights Act or discrimination against any class of persons without a rational basis is prohibited," McDonnell said in his directive.

"Employment discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated by this administration," the directive said. "Consistent with state and federal law, and the Virginia and United States Constitutions, I hereby direct that the hiring, promotion, compensation, treatment, discipline, and termination of state employees shall be based on an individual's job qualifications, merit and performance.

But, apparently, poised to self-destruct on the job front, what's  a "jobs governor" to do?  Answer: Pretend he really is a jobs governor, albeit under pressure.  That pressure came from both those wanting world class companies to locate in Virginia as well as those protesting "AG" Ken Cuccinelli's unprecedented pro-discrimination letter to state universities telling them its "illegal" to have nondiscriminatory policies including sexual orientation.  

So, McDonnell has seemingly had a "near-political-death-bed-conversion."   After all, enshrining hate into the executive branch of government is not how to persuade the nation that Virginia is for "lovers." Additionally, apparently, Maryland was trying to woo Northrop Grumman to their state by pointing out Virginians new-found enshrined discrimination.  

It's still not clear what all of this means on either the jobs front or the human rights front. For one thing, McDonnell avoided including the term "gender identity," which could possibly leave transgendered persons vulnerable.  More later on this evolving story...

Meanwhile, it does appear that Cooch has jumped the shark so high that even Pat Robertson's Manchurian Candidate recoils.