VA's McDonnell: No Degree For Obama From Notre Dame

CNN is reporting that Bob McDonnell, Virginia's Republican candidate for governor, is "adding his voice to the chorus of conservative Catholics urging the University of Notre Dame to reconsider honoring President Obama at the school's commencement in May because of his views on abortion."

McDonnell, a graduate of Notre Dame, said Obama should be allowed to speak but should not be given an honorary degree because his views "appear to be in great conflict with the Catholic social teaching."

"Therefore I think conferring a degree confers certainly an imprimatur, or approval of these views," he said on WTOP radio. "So I don't think if it's a uniquely Catholic University like a Georgetown or Boston College or Notre Dame."

But McDonnell disagreed with some members of the Catholic clergy who believe Obama should not speak at the school, CNN reported.

"He's the President of the United States," McDonnell said. "We respect the office. I disagree with him on a number of issues, but I respect the fact that he is the leader of the Free World."

McDonnell, also a graduate of Regent University Law School, which was founded by evangelist Pat Robertson, is the former state attorney general of Virginia. He is running a centrist campaign for governor in a state that backed Obama against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primary and then over Sen. John McCain in the general election. McDonnell, the only candidate running who has won a statewide race, has so far stressed his record of service in the Army, as a prosecutor and in the attorney general job, but has shied away from social issues.

The three Democrats running provided statements to On Call responding to McDonnell's suggestion that Obama should not be awarded an honorary degree.

Lis Smith, a spokeswoman for McAuliffe said McDonnell is "showing his true colors."

"Rather than applaud the President for bringing the country together to deal with our common challenges, he'd rather focus on divisive issues that tear us apart," she said. "This is the kind of partisan politics that Virginians rejected in recent years, and will reject again in November."

Jesse Ferguson, spokesman for former Del. Brian Moran, said that Virginia candidates should be focused on Virginia issues.

"We have so many challenges in Virginia today with nearly 300,000 people unemployed, it's unfortunate Bob McDonnell's chosen to get involved in this," he said. "But it again shows Bob McDonnell's true right-wing priorites."

And Peter Jackson, a spokesman for state Sen. Creigh Deeds, said McDonnell would undo the work accomplished by the last two Democratic governors, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, now the chairman of the DNC.

"It should be troubling to every Virginian that Bob McDonnell would use his extreme opposition to a woman's right to choose to attack President Obama," Jackson said. "And it's divisive comments like these that make it crystal clear Bob McDonnell would take Virginia back and reverse the progress and policies of the Warner-Kaine years."

(JENNIFER SKALKA)