Bob McDonnell comes to the defense of the Republican challenger

From the Charlottesville Examiner, "Va. Gov. Bob McDonnell says GOP stands for ‘equal opportunity for all’":

According to press reports, the reelection campaign of Democratic state Senator Janet Howell, a 20-year incumbent from Virginia’s 32nd senate district, has been appealing to anti-gay prejudices as a tactic against Republican challenger Patrick Forrest.

In an audio recording obtained by the Washington Blade, Howell campaign volunteer is heard exclaiming: “What my campaign is saying is here’s your Republican candidate. He’s a homosexual. Why would you want to vote for someone who’s a homosexual and is going to push his agenda in your schools?” (Excerpts of the recording were published in the Blade on October 14.)

Governor McDonnell interviewed by the Examiner:

“I don’t know what she’s doing but I can only say that Patrick and I -- and I think all of us in our party -- stand for equal opportunities for all people. I think you heard his message about job creation. He’s not focused on divisive social issues. He’s focused on the two things that really matter, getting people back to work and getting our spending and our government under control, and I think that’s what people care about, especially independent voters right now.”