You know, some stuff is so incredible, you can't even make it up. For instance, the Republican candidate for Attorney General, Bob McDonnell -- who has earned the nickname "Taliban Bob" for his obsession with sodomy and his gay-baiting of a woman (Newport News Circuit Judge Verbena Askew) he suspected of being a lesbian -- once employed a pedophile as his campaign manager! That's right, McDonnell's former top aide, Robin W. Vanderwall, was convicted on July 26, 2004, for "attempted indecent liberties with children." According to the Virginian-Pilot (January 14, 2003):
Vanderwall, 34, is charged with two felonies - use of a communication device for crimes against children and attempted indecent liberties with a child 14 or younger.Vanderwall was arrested after he contacted a Virginia Beach police officer who was posing as an underage boy in an Internet chat room, according to prosecutors. The officer agreed to meet with Vanderwall at a Virginia Beach park on the evening of Jan. 10. Vanderwall was arrested when he showed up at the park.
Vanderwall ran Del. Robert F. McDonnell's successful campaign against former Sheriff Frank Drew for the House of Delegates in 1999.
Ironically, Vanderwall was a third-year student at Regent University Law School when he was arrested for attempting to have sodomy with what he thought would be a 13-year-old boy (but turned out to be a police officer ready with handcuffs). Regent, of course, is the school founded by Pat Robertson "to provide exemplary education, from a biblical perspective...embodied in the person of Jesus Christ, and enabled through the power of the Holy Spirit. Soli Deo Gloria." Apparently, it didn't work in Vanderwall's case.
Coincidentally, according to the Hampton Roads Daily Press, Bob McDonnell is also a graduate of Regent University Law School and "a darling of Robertson?s Christian Coalition." In addition, McDonnell a member of Regent's "Board of Visitors." and a partner in Robertson?s law firm, Huff, Poole & Mahoney. To top it all off, Robertson has given $36,000 to McDonnell's campaign, the Republican Attorney General candidate's sixth highest donor.
So what's "Taliban Bob" McDonnell, the same guy who couldn't remember whether or not he personally ever engaged in sodomy, doing with a guy who likes having sodomy with young boys? According to McDonnell, "[Vanderwall] did a very good job in my campaign. He was diligent and a hard worker. I am shocked by the accusations."
Yeah, we're all shocked, Bob. But what we're shocked about is that someone like you could be running for Virginia Attorney General as the nominee of what USED to be a serious political party. Well, at least you're TALKING tough on child molesters in your TV ad...now how about getting your own house in order first?
Anyway, thank goodness we Democrats have an amazing candidate in Creigh Deeds, endorsed by groups ranging from the Virginia Sierra Club to the Virginia Education Association to the NRA. On November 8th, this is not even a choice: Creigh Deeds is an amazing candidate, while "Taliban Bob" is...well, the nickname says it all.
[UPDATE: For I. Publius and others who don't understand this post, Waldo Jaquith has a great explanation. Here it is; thanks Waldo!
If Bob McDonnell didn?t pretend to be top cop, this would just be a sad irony. If McDonnell hadn?t chosen to base his campaign on cracking down on child molesters, knowing full well by that time that his former campaign manager was a child molester, it would also just be a sad irony. Instead, Vanderwall?s conviction makes it clear that McDonnell?s claim to be Virginia?s #1 molester fighter are nothing more than the invention of McDonnell?s latest campaign manager.]